One Bolt, Many Questions

by Boltsinger

Rating: everyone
Tags: Slice of Life, Twilight Sparkle, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Romance, Original Character
Length: 177335

Crashing into a wall and meeting a Princess... Who would have thought that would lead to such a profound change in one pony's life?

His name is Boltsinger. He always saw himself as a relatively normal pony. Save for one strange fact. Ever since he got his Cutie Mark, his wings have been taking him places without his say-so. Everywhere he goes, somepony needs his help, and he's just the stallion for the job. Something was off about his next destination though. Crashing into a wall at the castle in Canterlot apparently gets the attention of important ponies, and that leads to some... interesting questions.

Special thanks to Hoodwinked McShelster for the amazing cover art! Click the name to find her page!

Published 2017-12-29 23:50:12 UTC
Last updated 2018-02-11 14:43:24 UTC

Perplexing Pegasus

Equestria was a land of polarization. There was great evil that walked the land. Changeling hives feeding on love, ancient kings whose shadows loomed even a thousand years later, and most recently, a Pony of Shadows that had threatened the land.

And yet, ponies were generally friendly. They went about their day without a care in the world, living a peaceful life until the day something threatened them. Perhaps that was why even the Royal Guard were hardly paying attention when a a bright orange streak featuring a blue lightning bolt flew by them, in what appeared to be an instant. Several seconds after, a voice sounded.

“OUT OF THE WAY!!!” It exclaimed, louder than the Pegasi thought possible as they looked on at the flying streak flew on, coming to a sudden stop. A loud crashing sound came from the wall above the balcony, causing the Alicorn that was going through the door to jump. She turned around, quickly, gasping at what she saw.

There, on the balcony, lay a medium sized Pegasus stallion. He groaned in pain from his landing as he quickly passed out. His body, wings, and hooves were all a bright orange, with a wind-blown blue mane and tail that bore streaks of what could only be described as “electric” blue erratically strewn throughout. The Cutie Mark emblazoned on his flank showed a microphone, but instead of the standard cord that comes from the end of the device, there was a streak of lightning, extending out and wrapping around the length of the microphone in the same electric blue found in the stallion's mane. His eyes were closed, so the color they bore remained a mystery to the Princess, but she had much more pressing concerns as she hurried to his side, lifting him carefully with the magic of her now-glowing horn. She carried him over to her bed and laid him there, examining him as closely as was comfortable for her so as to make certain he was alive.

Hours later, with a loud groan, the stallion woke up, opening his eyes to reveal a purple shade to them. He looked out at his surroundings, seeing a room extremely different from what he was used to, and sighed.

“So, I guess somepony found me right away, this time. But where in Celestia's name am I?” He looked down at his lap, seeing the dark blankets that covered him, and the flowing, starry mane sprawled out on the bed before him. “Wait... That mane... There's only one pony it can....” His eyes grew wide as he turned his head ever-so-slightly to the right, seeing the sleeping form of Princess Luna resting her head on the bed. “Oh! Oooooohhh...” His expression shifted from surprised to confused as he slowly shifted under the blankets, sliding out from under the covers as discreetly as he could. As his tail slid out, it moved swiftly by the Princess' nose, causing her to open her eyes, inhale rapidly, and sneeze.

“Oh... Excuse me...” She said, sheepishly rubbing her foreleg against her nose as her eyes opened normally. Her face brightened up the moment she saw the stallion moving around. “Ah! You are awake! Wonderful!” She pulled him in for a hug, where his heart began to race.

Aaaaaaaand now she's hugging me... Why is a Princess hugging me? What did I do to deserve this? WHY IS A PRINCESS EMBRACING ME!?! His nerves shot, he tensed up and simply laughed nervously. “Um... Excuse me... uh... Princess Luna?”

“Yes?” She replied, refusing to let go.

“I-If I may be so bold as to ask... Why are you hugging me?” He queried.

“Oh! Right...” Luna slowly let the Pegasus loose from her embrace. “I apologize. I was just so happy that you were all right that I could not stop myself from... well, you know.”

“I see... So, second question...” He stated, calming down a bit. “Why are we in your chambers?”

Luna exhaled softly as she regained her composure. “Well, I was in a panic when I heard you crash and all I saw was you, tettering upon the edge of consciousness. Thus, I brought you in here that you might rest and recover.”

“Ah... Well, th-thank you very much, Princess,.” He said, with a bow. “But... I think I've used up far more than enough of your time, I'll head out now...” The stallion got out of the bed, beginning to canter over to the balcony. Before he could step out the door proper, he found himself frozen in place with a blue magical field surrounding him. “Or I could stay here! that works.”

“So, young pony, might I ask you some questions as well?” Luna asked, her horn giving off the telltale glow of magic.

“O-o-of course! Yes!” He nervously laughed, hoping the Princess would let him down.

“First,” the Princess asked as she used her telekinetic power to move her guest closer. “Your name?”

“My name is Boltsinger,-” He responded, trying as best he could to avert his gaze. “Also, maybe, could you please put me down?”

“If you will not fly away, yes.” With that, Luna released her hold on the stallion, letting him walk up to her and sit down.

“Well, I-I really don't have any reason to leave, when I really think about it...” Boltsinger said as he scratched the back of his head with his right wing.

“Good. So, what, exactly, brought you here?” Luna inquired. “It seems you were moving quite swiftly considering the impact.”

“Well, that's... kind of an interesting story. It sorta goes along with how I got my Cutie Mark,” he sheepishly told her.

“Oh?” Luna began. “Do tell, please.”

Boltsinger gave another nervous laugh. “O-okay... Um... Where do I start? So... I'm from Vanhoover, and... Well, I've always had a strong voice, like... I can project across a room, but then... Well, a storm hit. Like, we'd had a really long drought for a long time. Grand Pear's farm was just about to lose all of its trees! So, Cloudsdale sent some support so that my parents could start a big enough rainstorm.”

He stood up, walked over to the balcony, where Luna followed. “And when I say 'big enough', I mean huge, and the clouds did a lot more than expected. I could have sworn they started swirling like a tornado, but… well, bigger! There was lightning coming down, and there were hailstones flying all over the place...”

“Oh my,” Luna said, features softening at the story. “It sounds like a trying ordeal, indeed.”

Boltsinger nodded. “The weather team was doing their best to get a handle on the situation, and my family flew up to coordinate. I was still on the ground, since I wasn't a very strong flyer yet. But, I could see what was going on.”

“You must have been worried.”

Boltsinger winced at the memory. “There was a really big hailstone headed their way, and I just... cried out! But... they... couldn't hear me, and then the thing was getting closer, and then I just... Well, I flapped my wings, hard. When I did that, I tried calling out again, and then... well... The wind that my wings created pushed through the storm, and somehow carried my voice all the way to them.

They were able to dodge, and I was just... kinda... baffled. I remember thinking to myself... If my voice can reach out and help other ponies, like that, or in any other way, I would be there. Then, my flank started glowing. My cutie mark was starting to appear, and my wings were tingling a lot... Then... I felt some kind of shock, and I passed out.”

“Oh my... It sounds as though you were struck by lightning...” Luna added.

“I'm pretty sure that's what it was...” Boltsinger confirmed. “When I came to, the storm was cleared, but... well, I didn't really have much time to see where my family went... I got that tingly feeling in my wings again, and then... Well, I took off! I didn't really have much control over it. I just kept flying, and I didn't stop for... well... days.”

“And that is how you got here?” The Princess wondered.

“That was years ago. It's how I learned that I can't always control my wings.” Boltsinger corrected.

“How many times has this occurred since you got your Cutie Mark?”

“I lost count a long time ago.” Boltsinger shrugged, as if brushing off the exact details. “It's been happening almost as long as I can remember. But, everywhere I go, there's some way my talent can help somepony else, so... I guess that counts as a win.”

“Well, then,” Princess Luna said, standing up and moving back into the room. “I have an idea that might help.”

“Okay, what's that?” the stallion replied.

“You will find out tomorrow,.” Luna started, spreading her wings regally. “For today, you will stay here, and sleep in one of the guest rooms. I will confer what you have told me to my sister. Hopefully, my intuition leads to results, and we will be able to introduce you to somepony who can make sense of your situation.”

“Really?” Boltsinger asked.

“Yes.” Luna answered, rather matter-of-factually.

“I'm staying... here?”

“Yes.”

“But you're a Princess...”

“Yes.”

“And I'm a normal Pegasus.”

“I'm aware.”

Boltsinger had a puzzled look on his face as he pawed the floor with his hoof. “But... why?”

Luna's face began to mirror that of the Pegasus in the room with her. “What do you mean?”

“What I mean is...” he began, closing his eyes and sighing. “Why would you even concern yourself with somepony like me? I'm just a normal guy whose wings don't even work right...”

Luna could see on his face that there was a deeper sadness in him, buried with the details he neglected to reveal. She softly smiled as she sat down next to Boltsinger, taking one of her wings and placing it on his back. “It is truly a simple thing. I am a Princess, and you are a pony in need. A citizen of Equestria! Now that I know of your problems, I cannot simply ignore them. I must do what I can. Not only is it my duty, but my honor, as well.”

“Well... Thank you... I hope I'm worth it...” Boltsinger replied, comforted by the Princess' words. Luna got up, heading over to the door. Boltsinger quickly followed suit. This was going to be a very... interesting day.

Author's Note

Well, it begins. There's a good chance it's gonna have some edits done to it, as some proofreading is most definitely in order, but here is the first chapter of many to come.

EDIT: The opening has received an improvement thanks to a good friend, Krickis! It's wonderful to have other writers to provide feedback, isn't it?

Meeting with Friendship

After what could only be described as “the most interesting destination he had ever reached,” Boltsinger could sum up how he felt today in one simple word.

Confused.

It wasn't like he wasn't accustomed to flights like this after so many years, but to have woken up next to Princess Luna? How was he supposed to react to something like that? Sure, she'd seemed friendly enough, and she had shown curiosity and concern for his situation, but she was a princess for crying out loud! What was someone as ordinary as him supposed to do in the presence of someone as incredible as that?

After gaining a clearer idea of what was going on, the Lunar Princess instructed him to stay through the night in the castle as she discussed the situation with her sister, Princess Celestia. His day from then on was rather uneventful, but quite contemplative, as he tried to make sense of it all. The next morning, a yellow-coated Pegasus in armor with a blue mane and tail, and a blue shield with a lightning bolt as his Cutie Mark, entered the room.

“Boltsinger?” He called out.

Said stallion was still in a deep sleep, as if he'd been up almost disturbingly late. His snoring was audible in the hallway, as the now-open door soon proved.

The Pegasus walked up to the bed, looking at the orange stallion that lay there. He placed his hoof on the sleeping pony's shoulder, shaking him. “Wake up!”

In that instant, Boltsinger's eyes shot open and his left wing flapped, sending a gust of wind straight into the guard that woke him. The force threw him back into the corridor wall. “What?! What is it? I'm awake!” Boltsinger exclaimed, looking around rather frantically as he sat up.

His attention quickly turned to the Pegasus that had woken him up, seeing him sitting against the wall, looking a little bit dazed. “Oh my gosh! I'm sorry!” He leaped off of the bed and flew over to the yellow pony, returning the favor and shaking him awake. “Are you okay?”

The guard rose to his hooves and shook his head a bit. “I'm... fine. The Royal Sisters require your presence in the throne room. I trust you know the way there?”

Boltsinger nodded and pointed his right wing in the direction that would take him to the throne room fastest. “This way, right?” he asked. The guard nodded silently, with a puzzled look on his face. Boltsinger simply nodded, cantering off to see what was required of him.

An hour later the door to the throne room opened, and in walked a lilac-coated Alicorn with a purple mane and tail that featured streaks of a lighter purple with a more notable pink. Her Cutie Mark consisted of a magenta six-pointed star on top of a smaller yet similar white star, surrounded by five stars that were smaller still to create a sparkle effect. She was followed by a small purple dragon with green spikes and a yellow belly, walking on two legs, along with five other ponies. One was a white Unicorn with a deep purple mane and tail that had some well-accentuated ringlets to them, she also had false eyelashes, and some light blue eyeshadow over her piercing cerulean eyes. Her Cutie Mark was made up of three brilliantly cut diamonds. Another was an orange Earth Pony with a blonde mane and tail, each tied at the end with a red hair-tie. She wore a stetson, and had a Cutie Mark of three bright red apples. Her eyes were about as green as a Granny Smith apple, with three white freckles at the corner of each. The next to come in was a bouncy pink Earth Pony mare with a darker pink mane and tail that seemingly defined the word 'frizzy'. She had light blue eyes, and a Cutie Mark consisting of two blue balloons and one yellow one. She smiled happily as another much more reserved mare followed her. She was a yellow-coated Pegasus with soft blue eyes and a long pink mane and tail. Her Cutie Mark was three pink-winged butterflies. Lastly, a cyan Pegasus flew in with a six-colored rainbow mane and tail, and violet eyes. Her Cutie Mark featured a cloud with a multicolored lightning bolt coming out.

Princess Celestia sat on her throne as the six ponies and the little dragon walked in, smiling softly at the sight of her beloved pupil. “Twilight Sparkle, thank you for coming to see us on such short notice,” the Princess of the Sun started, walking towards the Alicorn for a hug.

The lilac pony responded. “Of course! I'm happy to come anytime you need me.” She reciprocated the embrace happily. “You said in your letter that you needed some help with a magical problem. What's going on?”

Celestia broke the hug and walked over to her throne, taking a seat as her sister, Luna, walked up.

“That,” Luna began, “is a question that can only be answered by one pony.”

Twilight looked around the room, seeing nopony else save for her friends and the Royal Sisters. “What do you mean? Is there somepony else you want me to meet?”

Celestia snickered. “Yes. He should be somewhere nearby...” She pointed her left foreleg behind her throne.

Immediately, the cyan Pegasus took off, leaving a rainbow streak behind her as she flew. She sped behind the throne and appeared above everypony in the center of the room, holding an orange-coated Pegasus stallion who seemed to be shuddering in fear.

“This who you're talking about?” the Pegasus mare asked.

Luna nodded with an amused smile on her face. “Yes, Rainbow Dash, that is him.” Rainbow Dash proceeded to let the stallion go as he started flapping his own wings, lowering himself to the floor and sitting in front of Twilight and her friends.

The orange mare looked up at her flying friend. “Rainbow!” she shouted, a country drawl present in her voice. “Why'd ya have to go and scare him like that? Why, he looks more spooked than a stampeedin' herd before breakfast!”

The pink pony came from behind her fellow Earth Pony, seemingly out of nowhere. “But, Applejack! It's so much FUN to be scared! Your heart is racing,” She stood on her hind legs and performed a motion that looked like a heart shape leaping out of her chest in a cartoony fashion. “You're shivering aaaaaaall oooooover!” She stood in place and shivered so fast that she started moving around the room. “And you have so... much... adrenaline!” With each of the final words, her face grew more playfully intense, and she bolted around the entire room, stopping right next to Applejack, placing a hoof up next to her mouth . “Hm... Somehow I feel like I've explained that somewhere before...”

“Um... H-h-hi...” He said, softly, while waving with one of his wings. “I'm... um... I'm Boltsinger... I'm the one that the Princesses... Can't believe I'm saying this... Th-th-th-the... The one the Princesses wanted you to meet!” He shivered more, keeping his eyes closed, his breathing more rapid than even he expected.

Twilight walked up to the new face, looking him over from multiple angles. “Are you alright?” She asked, looking concerned. “You seem awfully nervous.”

The white Unicorn walked up next to Twilight, bending near Boltsinger and giving him a coy glance to the side. “Now, now, darling, we can't properly introduce ourselves to you if you aren't willing to look at us, now can we?”

“You've... got a bit of a point...” He replied. The unicorn backed up a bit so as to give him some space. He slapped the sides of his muzzle with his wings, taking a deep, calming breath before opening his eyes and looking at the Alicorn before him first.

In that instant, he saw a kind of beauty that reminded him of the Princesses he had met so far, and yet, on the other hoof, she seemed infinitely more approachable. The look in her violet eyes was innately welcoming, and seemed to put his heart at ease.

The white Unicorn smiled and looked at the Pegasus through half-lidded eyes, looking relaxed and content. “Now that is much better. I am Rarity, and it's quite a pleasure to meet you, Boltsinger.” She offered a hoof in greeting. Boltsinger looked at the finely polished hoof and grasped it with his wing, giving a slightly loose shake.

Celestia and Luna walked up behind Boltsinger, wings spread regally. “The task we'd like you to undertake, Twilight, directly involves this pony's plight.”

Twilight looked confused as she drew her gaze to her fellow Alicorns. “What do you mean? He seems fine.” She took a closer look at the orange pony, letting the dots in her mind make their connections. “Do you have a kind of friendship problem?

Luna chimed in. “Not quite. He was not doing quite as well when I met him just yesterday morning, for he was knocked out upon the very balcony upon which I typically undertake my nightly vigil.”

Twilight and her friends gasped at the information. “How did he get up there? I mean, I know he can fly, and that's probably the easiest explanation, but why would he go to your balcony?”

“That is the same question I asked him when he awoke.“ Luna replied, seeming to avoid some details about the event. “I believe he would explain it best .”

“M-me?!” Boltsinger repeated. “I mean, I know I was there, and all, but you're so much more articulate and accurate and...” He looked at Luna, who looked back at him with an air of confidence. “All right...” Looking at Twilight, he told the Princess of Friendship the story of how he obtained his Cutie Mark, and the events surrounding the strange behavior of his wings.

“We would like for you all to help Boltsinger with this problem present im his wings.” Celestia began. “Do you think you can do this?”

Twilight nodded, but looked confused once again. “I think so. Between Starlight and I, we should be able to learn what's going on. But, why not ask Star Swirl about this? He's much better at solving magical problems than I am.”

Celestia placed a wing on Twilight's back, taking her aside. “This problem doesn't stem entirely from magic. Luna has been telling me that he seems greatly troubled. A kind of loneliness, a depression that goes deeper than a simple magical remedy can solve. We believe that you and your friends are the ideal choice to not only help him with his wings, but with his heart. Would you let him stay at your castle?”

Twilight looked worried as she looked back at the stallion she had just met. “I'm not a hundred percent sure about him staying in the castle... But, he doesn't seem like a bad pony. I can let him use a guest room.”

Celestia gave her pupil another hug before they walked back to the others. “Thank you, Twilight. He seems like he could really use some friends.”

Twilight looked over at her friends, who were gathered around a seemingly uneasy Boltsinger. He greeted each of them, smiling weakly, as they all introduced themselves.

Boltsinger stood up and looked around at the ponies before him. They were extremely different from one another, and yet, together they seemed to be right at home. Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight Sparkle... He could tell that he had some interesting days ahead of him.

Author's Note

I apologize for any inaccuracies in things like the proper words to describe various colors. Sadly, I'm not that good at discerning them by name. Just by shade.

To Ponyville We Go

Boltsinger walked up to the platform at the Canterlot train station, waiting for the train to arrive as the yellow Pegasus mare he met earlier, named Fluttershy, if he remembered correctly, came and stood next to him.

“Um... Hi, there,” she started, looking at him with a bit of understanding. “I bet it was a bit of a shock, meeting everypony all at once...”

“Yeah... It was pretty scary...” Boltsinger replied, scratching his mane with one of his wings. “You're all so friendly, though... It really was a pleasure to meet you.”

Fluttershy laughed softly. “I'm glad. I know how scary it can be when you're put on the spot like that. You should be glad they didn't ask you to sing for them.”

The orange pony tilted his head, folding his ears back at the statement. “Actually, I think I would have done better if I just had to sing for them.”

Fluttershy gasped. “Really? But... all of those... eyes... on you. It doesn't bother you?”

Boltsinger chuckled nervously. “It really sorta depends on the context. I've got no problem using my voice to help other ponies. It's what got me my Cutie Mark. Plus, getting into the music can be fun!”

Fluttershy smiled and thought back to her own experiences in performing music. “It is pretty fun once you get into it.”

The two Pegasi conversed for a while, laughing quietly and talking about music as Twilight and the others came up. The small dragon, Spike, looked at the smiling conversation and turned to Twilight. “I guess some ponies just click, huh?” He commented, noting the happy atmosphere.

Twilight looked on at them. Seeing the the newest pony to enter her life smile for the first time made her smile in turn. She opened her mouth to call out to the two, but before she could raise her voice, the whistle of the arriving train blew, sending her into an annoyed pout. As the train pulled up, each pony looked over at the opening doors, boarding the then-empty car.

“Wow...” Boltsinger said, looking around the cabin at the cushioned seats with colorful furnishings. “It's been a while since I've been on a train... It looks downright cozy in here.” He found a seat near the back of the cabin and sat down. To his surprise, it was Twilight that came and sat next to him.

“So, are you excited to see Ponyville?” she asked him.

“It definitely piques my interest,.” he told her. “My 'flights' have only taken me there once, and it was a long time ago. I helped a Unicorn there with some mic checks for a few days. She was really quiet, despite working with sound so much. Then, once her Cutie Mark showed up, my wings made me take off again.”

Twilight was a little surprised to hear the reference to somepony familiar. She chortled a bit before clearing her throat. “Well, it's changed a lot in the past few years.” She gestured grandly with her left hoof . “And you'll be staying in the biggest change of them all!”

Boltsinger couldn't help but wonder what the Alicorn was talking about as he looked at her. “I'm... not sure I follow. Staying in a big change?”

From behind the seat they were sitting in, Pinkie Pie appeared, mimicking Twilight's gesture. “She's talking about the CASTLE! You know, the castle that came out of the ground after Twilight and the rest of us used some sparkly rainbow magic to transform and defeat a MEEEEEAN monster named Tirek, and give ALL the ponies in Equestria their magic back and the chest buried itself just outside of Ponyville! It's all big, and crystal-y, and REALLY pretty and--” Twilight's hoof covered Pinkie's mouth, although she continued talking in a muffled an unintelligible ramble.

“You'll see when we get there,.” Twilight finished, putting her hoof back on the seat and tilting her head in a more humble position. “I think you'll like it.”

Boltsinger faintly blushed at the sight, and turned his head to look out the window. At that moment, looking out at the countryside, the realization hit him.

“I'm staying at a CASTLE?!” He turned his head to face the Princess again. “I thought I was just gonna stay at a hotel or something! Why would you want me to stay in the castle?!”

“Well,” Twilight said. “to be honest, staying at the castle was Princess Celestia's idea. I'm not entirely sure as to why, but I trust my teacher, so I'm going to go along with it.”

“Well, if you say so...” Boltsinger said as he averted his gaze to the floor below, pawing at the seat with his hoof. What is it with these princesses and doing stuff like this for... somepony like me?

Twilight examined him, seeing in him the sadness that her mentor had told her about. “Are you alright?”

“I-I'm just a little confused, is all,” he told her. “In all of my 'flights', this is the first time I've ended up somewhere so... grand. And instead of being needed to help other ponies, the ones I met were insistent on... on helping me...” He looked over at Twilight and gestured to himself with both a hoof and a wing. “Am I really worth all of this?”

Twilight smiled at him and placed a wing on his back. “That's up to you to decide, but I believe everypony is worth it in the end.”

Boltsinger smiled softly as he looked over at the mares in the cabin. They were all chatting and enjoying themselves as the train made its way towards their destination. From there, he looked out the window, seeing a large crystal castle in the distance, and acres of farmland in proximity. From who knows where, to Canterlot, to Ponyville… I guess that’s just the norm these days. Day to day, place to place. Wonder how long I’ll be in this town before I’m suddenly gone…?

As the train pulled up at the station, the ponies on board disembarked. Twilight and her friends walked out like it was normal, while Boltsinger slowly walked out behind them. His gaze was fixed on the floor below, still trying to wrap his mind around the whole situation. Pinkie Pie was the first to leave the station, saying something about ‘something super-duper important’ she had to set up for later. The stallion was more than a little confused by it all.

Rarity trotted over to the Pegasus. “I'm going to head back to my boutique, but I'd love it you were to pay me a visit!” She said, smiling. “We simply must do something about that mane of yours.”

Boltsinger looked perplexed, wondering what she meant. He walked over to Twilight, Spike, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash. The cyan Pegasus looked over at him, pondering.

“I've got an awesome idea!” She exclaimed, jumping up into the air and hovering there. “I'll come over later to tell you about it. I just know you're gonna love it!”

Twilight laughed and nodded. Applejack and Fluttershy said their farewells and headed to their own homes, leaving Twilight, Spike, and Boltsinger behind.

“So,” Boltsinger began. “I'm... not all that familiar with the town. Would you mind leading the way?” He gave the mare a weak smile. Twilight nodded and turned, starting at a trot toward the town.

Twilight seemed to lead Boltsinger along the scenic route, showing him every corner of Ponyville along the way, enthusiastically explaining all the great parts about each location. He was fascinated by the history of locations like Sweet Apple Acres, and wanted to try the goods he heard about at Sugar Cube Corner. He was still a little leery about the idea of entering the boutique, as he wasn't quite sure what that entailed. Eventually, Twilight led him to her own place of residence, the Castle of Friendship.

“Well,” Twilight said. “We're here.” She poked her head in the door as the blue-maned stallion looked up at the crystal building. It looked similar to a library that he saw the last time he was in town, yet far more grandiose. He could hardly believe that this was where he'd be staying while he was in Ponyville. He slapped his face with his wings, and then looked over at Twilight, who was now looking back at him.

She opened the door, keeping her gaze on him. “I'm going to take care of something inside. Can you wait a couple minutes?” With a nod from Boltsinger, she laughed and hurried in.

Taking another look at the castle, his thoughts stirred up again. He found himself recalling everything that had happened so far over and over again, losing himself to the races that were his ponderings until a knock at the door snapped him out of it. “Okay, come on in!” Twilight called. At last, Boltsinger walked up to the door, slowly pushing it open with one of his forelegs.

The inside of the castle was just as beautiful as the outside. It was welcoming, expansive, and very... shiny. However, he noticed that nopony else was in there with him. Twilight and Spike had gone in, but the room had no trace of either of them. He walked into the grand foyer, wondering what in Celestia's name was going on.

BOOM!

What sounded like a cannon came from behind, and Boltsinger immediately jumped up into the air, giving one good, strong flap of his wings, he sent a gust of wind through the room. In that gale, streamers, confetti, and various party decorations went flying everywhere, somehow falling perfectly into place. At the end of the hall, a banner attached itself to the wall, revealing text that said “WELCOME BOLTSINGER” in big, friendly orange text. At the same time, Twilight, Spike, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie were sent from behind the pillars and into the back wall, looking dazed, as Rainbow Dash flew against the wind over to the stallion that caused it.

“Surpriiiiiiiise...!” The dazed mares all exclaimed as Rainbow Dash hovered next to Boltsinger, busting a gut at the unfolding events.

From Panic to Party

Boltsinger looked around the foyer, seeing the grand decorations in place and the various ponies scattered around the room. They were a little dazed from a sudden burst of wind knocking them back, as Rainbow Dash hovered next to him in hysterics.

“That… was... AWESOME!” she finally managed to say. “How did you do that? Even I have to build up some momentum before a gale like that!”

Boltsinger landed quickly and ran towards the nearest of the ponies to his location. He looked back at Rainbow as he ran. “I just flapped my wings! Not that special!” He came up on Applejack. “Are you okay?”

Applejack nodded groggily. “Yeah, I'm fine. But what in tarnation was that?”

“I... got a little spooked,” he replied. “How about everypony else?” He ran to check on all the other ponies and their dragon friend. They all seemed fine, if a little surprised. They all worked themselves out of their daze, then looked at the stallion that caused the sudden wind.

“What happened?” Twilight asked.

Boltsinger immediately squealed and ran to the back of the room, sitting on the floor and shuddering like he did when he first met the others. “I'm sorry!” he exclaimed. “I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry...” He went on repeating himself until the others gathered around him, the concern on their faces now evident.

“Darling, I don't understand...” Rarity began. “What on earth are you so sorry about?”

“I... I-I-I made that gale!” the stallion told her. “I was scared... And I just acted on instinct... I'm sorry...”

Pinkie Pie shook her head rapidly. “Are you KIDDING?! That was AMAZING!”

Fluttershy nodded. “It was pretty impressive...” The other ponies all nodded in agreement.

Boltsinger opened his eyes, looking at the faces of the ponies surrounding him. “Really?” The other ponies all smiled.

Pinkie Pie jumped up, moved to the center of the room, stood on her hind legs, and raised her forelegs, making a grand gesture as the party cannons fired again, shooting confetti everywhere. “Now, leeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet's PARTY!!!” she exclaimed, with the doors to the castle swiftly swinging open for the ponies that began trotting in, there for the party.

“Wait, a party?” Boltsinger wondered. He looked back at the banner. “For me?! What for? I just got to town!”

Twilight laughed and walked over to the orange pony. Using her magic, she lifted him off of the floor and let him stand on his own hooves. “That's exactly why Pinkie’s throwing a party! She did it for me when I first got to Ponyville, too.”

“Oh... Well, I guess we can't let this party stuff go to waste, huh?” Boltsinger added. He slapped his face with his wings, and shook his head, venturing into the room with Twilight next to him.

The party was nice. A familiar white Unicorn in headphones and shades was handling all of the music, and many of the citizens came up to Boltsinger to introduce themselves. They all seemed friendly enough, helping him feel a touch more at ease in the new environment. He felt that if he was going to be interacting with ponies like these on a regular basis, then his stay in Ponyville was going to be a good ome. Several hours later, the party was finally winding down, and most of the ponies had left. All that remained was Twilight and her friends.

“Sooooooooooo...” Pinkie started. “How was your 'Welcome to Ponyville' party?”

Boltsinger scratched his head with his wing, trying to come up with a response. “I... really enjoyed it. Twilight told me you really love to do the party stuff... It was just a bit... unexpected.”

“Isn't that the whole point of a 'surprise' party?” Applejack jokingly asked.

The Pegasus laughed. “Yeah, I suppose so!” His face seemed stuck i. A smile, sending the pink party pony's eyes wide.

“So, we're friends, now, right?!” Pinkie asked, rushing remarkably close to Boltsinger's face. He shyly laughed, nodding his head. “YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYES!!!” Once again, she was celebrating in midair. After several more jumps, she landed normally, walking back to her friends and wiping her brow. “Well, I've gotta go. It's reeeeeeeeeally late. I mean, Princess Luna has already raised the moon!”

The other ponies all nodded in agreement, all heading for the door. Before long, it was just Boltsinger, Twilight, and Spike, who was yawning into his claws.

“They've got a point,” the baby dragon told them. “I'm gonna hit the sack.”

Twilight patted Spike on the head with one of her wings, “All right, sleepyhead. You have a good rest.” She waved as her faithful assistant ventured off into the castle, then turned to the Pegasus. “So, I guess I'll show you to your room?”

Boltsinger expressed his agreement. Twilight showed began walking towards one of the many rooms in the castle.

“So, normally my student, Starlight, is here, but right now she's in... another place with my friend, Sunset,” she told him, looking back at him slightly. “Is there anything you'd like to do tomorrow? I know Rainbow Dash never got around to telling us her 'idea', but what you do here is all up to you.”

“Um... I think I'm probably going to listen to whatever Rainbow Dash had to say... Also, I wouldn't mind exploring this castle a bit. I didn't get to do much exploring in Canterlot. I think Princess Luna was worried I might fly off before I could meet anypony else. Do you still have a... library... here in Ponyville?”

Twilight stopped instantly, causing Boltsinger to bump into her from behind. The Alicorn turned to look back on the Pegasus with her. “You want to go to the library?”

“Yeah, sometimes the best thing I can think to do is just sit and read,” he responded. “I never really got to socialize much over the years, thanks to these things on my back. In the end, it felt like I wasn't alone as long as I had a good book.”

Twilight's face changed. Suddenly she was smiling from ear to ear, her eyes were wide as can be and shining brightly. “Of course there's a library!” she shouted, jumping happily and running over to Boltsinger and pushing him from behind. “Come on! Let me show you!”

Boltsinger quickly moved with the push, as Twilight guided him through the many halls of the castle. Eventually, he was led to another set of large doors, which Twilight's magic instantky opened. Inside, the stallion saw what he could only think of as 'the mother load' of books. There were research books, fiction, non-fiction, anything anypony could ask for! All of the fatigue from the party earlier quickly washed away as he flew up to the shelves, excitedly looking over the flawlessly-sorted collectio .

“You did all of this yourself?” he asked, looking back at the princess. “This is all yours?!” He looked back to the books, his eyes wide, and his face beaming. “WOW! I wonder if there's any Daring Do in here...” He looked at the spines of each book on every shelf, finally taking out a copy of Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Statue, holding it up triumphantly. “Yes!”

Twilight closed her eyes proudly. “Yes! It's open to everypony, and... Oh, you already found it!” She fluttered over to him, and they both landed on the floor, walking over to the table in the center of the room. “I'm so glad to meet another fan! Normally, I can only really talk about Daring Do with Rainbow Dash!”

From there, they went hours into the night, conversing and laughing about all of their favorite Daring Do adventures, not quite knowing where the time was going. Eventually, the topic spread to other books they enjoyed, discussing the legends of the Pillars, leading to Twilight talking at length about her personal idol, Star Swirl the Bearded. The topics kept varying for a while, covering nearly all of the fictional titles Twilight had in her library.

Finally, the laughter and conversation died down as the two of them simultaneously yawned into their wings.

Coming from a yawn, Twilight spoke. “All right, I think it's time for bed... Let me show you to your room...” She walked over to Boltsinger, but slightly stumbled along the way, dozing off mid-step with her head rapidly approaching the corner of the table. Boltsinger's instincts took hold again, prompting him to dive down and catch the falling Alicorn, landing on the floor with her sleeping soundly on his neck.

He looked at her sleeping form and smiled softly, a slight blush appearing on his cheeks as he yawned once more. Closing his eyes, his head fell onto a book beneath him. I think, just this once, it's a good idea to just call it a night here...

Look At Him Go!

Author's Note

Regarding accents like Applejack's, I'm going to level with you.
You know what Applejack sounds like when she says certain words. When it comes to how she speaks, I've got the word edits where they need to be, but most of the time you know what she's saying no matter how she says it, so for stuff like "I", I just left it spelled correctly. Honestly, how she "talks" is more difficult than how she "speaks", per say. Countryisms are hard to come by.

Look At Him Go!

As the sun rose for another day in Ponyville, Spike was walking through the Castle of Friendship, calling out the name of the resident Princess. He had checked her bedroom, but she wasn't in there. She normally wasn't one to sleep in this late unless she had overworked herself, as she often does. However, the previous night, all that had happened was a party. Normally, after a party like that, she was so tired that she went straight to bed, making her absence from her room all the more confusing.

“Twiiiiliiiiiihgt!” Spike called, cupping his claws around his mouth. He looked in various doors, turning his head every which way. “Where has that pony gone to?”

Before too long, in the library, the Princess in question slowly got up, yawning and stretching. “Mmmmmm...” she began, still a little groggy. “What happened? Did I fall asleep in the library again?” She looked around, putting a hoof down and causing the stallion below her to wake up with a sharp exhale. Upon her realization of the situation, her eyes widened, and she bolted up into the air with a shrill scream.

Boltsinger, the stallion in question, screamed in kind and flew to a corner of the library.

“I'm sorry!” he shouted. He continued to apologize profusely while Twilight saw what was going on, and began fluttering back down towards the floor.

As the Alicorn landed, the door to the library swung open, with Spike running in at full speed. “TWILIGHT!” He screamed, running towards his first and best pony friend. “Are you okay?!”

Twilight lifted a foreleg, embracing the dragon as he came in for a hug. “I'm fine, Spike. I was just a little startled.” She directed her attention to the orange pony shuddering in the corner and apologizing repeatedly. “Boltsinger?”

The Pegasus kept apologizing.

“Boltsinger!” Twilight shouted. To her surprise, even after raising her voice, the pony she was talking to still didn't respond. He seemed to be in a panic. She closed her eyes and remembered Celestia's words to her once more, about how his 'problem' was far more than magical, and how Luna had sensed a kind of sorrow in him. She took a deep breath, placing a hoof at the base of her neck, and then extending her foreleg out, before trotting over to Boltsinger and placing a hoof on his shoulder. “Hey, Boltsinger... It's okay! You haven't done anything wrong...”

The stallion's breathing began to slow, looking up at the pony that was talking to him, still breathing heavily. “Are you sure?” he asked. She nodded, smiling. “I... I swear... I didn't do anything...”

“Oh?” she started. “What exactly happened?”

Boltsinger slowly got up. “You practically fell asleep while you were walking, and you were falling over... Your head was about to hit the table, so I caught you, and then... Well...”

“Well...?” Spike added, looking at Boltsinger suspiciously.

“I fell asleep with you on top of me!” he quickly finished, covering his face with his wings.

Twilight laughed, closing her eyes and backing up a bit. “Well, thank you for being honest with me. Shall we have some breakfast?”

Boltsinger moved some feathers away from his eyes, looking again at the smiling pony. “Umm... Yeah! Breakfast sounds... good!” He moved his wings back into their resting position and perked up, and the two ponies walked with Spike towards the kitchen.

After a hearty breakfast, Twilight and Spike gathered up all of the dishes, leaving Boltsinger alone in the kitchen to ponder. It was then that the doors to the castle burst open. A rainbow streak flew in, stopping perfectly in the dining room. Out of the rainbow appeared Rainbow Dash, forelegs folded as she hovered in the air in front of Boltsinger, whose expression turned to surprise at the sudden appearance.

“ARE YOU READY?!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

“READY FOR WHAT?!” Boltsinger replied at the same volume.

“TRAINING!!!” the Pegasus mare answered.

“Wait, what?” the Pegasus stallion said, as if changing the beat. “What do you mean, 'training'?”

Rainbow landed on the floor, then sped over to her fellow winged pony. “Yeah! You were talking about how you don't have any control when you 'take off',” she explained, poking at his wings. “So I thought the best way for me to help would be to train you and make you an awesome flyer!” She sped in front of him, rearing up and spreading her wings.

“So, you mean, like... being used to going that fast?” the blue-maned pony wondered.

Rainbow Dash calmed down from her hype and walked back over to Boltsinger. “Something like that.”

“Well, I'm already at least accustom to moving at that kind of speed, kinda...” Boltsinger gestured in a flapping motion with his wings. “I mean, I've flown that fast for a long time. I just... can't make it happen myself.”

“Well, that's what we're gonna work on!” she said. “Listen, that wind you made yesterday was totally awesome! You've definitely got some strong wings on you, but you clearly don’t understand just how strong they are. So, maybe, if I helped you learn more than just the basics of flying, you might be able to get a handle on those babies!”

Boltsinger opened his mouth, lifting a hoof. After a bit of a pause, his voice finally came out. “Ooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhh...” He droned. “You know, that makes sense. I never really tried to influence the way I flew when I took off like that.”

“All right!” Rainbow shouted. “So let's hit the fields!”

Boltsinger slapped his face with his wings to psyche himself up. “Right! Let's do this!!!” he yelled, spreading his wings and taking off. Rainbow smirked to herself, hunching over and taking off after him. In no time at all, she'd overtaken him.

The two Pegasi flew through Ponyville, Rainbow Dash speeding through with a rainbow streak following behind her, and Boltsinger moving about as fast as most average flyers, seeming to flutter more than what Rainbow Dash would call 'flying'. The onlookers of Ponyville all looked as the pair passed by, with Rainbow alerting them, whilst Boltsinger seemed to be caught in her turbulence half of the time.

Eventually, Boltsinger followed the rainbow streak to what looked like a racing track, where a small fan-like device was set up on the inside of the track. Rainbow Dash circled the track several times, creating a spiral until stopping above the center of the field, striking a suitably 'awesome' pose in the air just as her new trainee landed.

Boltsinger looked up at the display, seeing the streak that followed the Wonderbolt fizzle up behind her as she panted, the routine having filled her with adrenaline.

“Well, that was pretty awesome!” the stallion told her. “So... What do we do first?”

Rainbow Dash landed and trotted over to her new apprentice. “Okay, first, drop and give me wing-ups!”

“Wing-ups?” Boltsinger repeated.

“Yeah! Wing-ups!” She confirmed.

“How many?” He asked.

“'Till ya get tired!” she said. “I wanna see just how much stamina you've got! So you're gonna be doing wing-ups until your wings can't take anymore!”

“ALL RIGHT!” Boltsinger shouted, finding himself caught up in Rainbow's energy. He immediately dropped to the ground on the spot, extending his wings to the ground and holding his body up with them, pushing himself up repeatedly.

Rainbow stood back and watched the Pegasus before her doing the exercise she ordered so diligently. She swelled up with pride in her coaching ability, along with a tiny stroking of her ego. As he kept going, she bobbed her head with his motions. This kept going for an hour, bringing a dull ache to the cyan mare's neck, but Boltsinger just kept going like it was nothing. She sat down across the track from him, still watching. After a while, Applejack trotted up to the field with a bag tied to her neck, approaching her Pegasus friend.

“Howdy, Rainbow!” she greeted, taking a seat next to the cyan pony. “How's the trainin' goin'?”

“I've got him doing wing-ups right now,” she answered, resting her head on her forelegs. “I wanted to test his stamina, so I told him not to stop until his wings got tired, and that was three hours ago!” She gestured out at Boltsinger with her right foreleg. In that moment, her stomach started to growl out loud. “Did you bring any food?”

Applejack chuckled a bit and took the sack off her neck and laid it out. With a delightfully sweet aroma, she revealed a bushel of apples, along with a few fritters, and some slices of pie. “Y'all didn't think I'd come to yer little trainin' session unprepared, didja?”

“All right!” Rainbow Dash shouted as she began to dig into her portion of the food.

“Hey Bolt!” Applejack called out. “Ya hungry?”

Boltsinger shook his head. “No, I'm feeling fine!” he said. “But thank you! The food looks really tasty!”

The wing-up session continued. Boltsinger would push his body up with his wings again, and again, and again, over and over for a while. Rainbow Dash and Applejack watched as he kept it up. Eventually, the Pegasus mare's head fell into her forelegs, a telltale snore making her current state obvious. Applejack simply bobbed her head with the movement of the pony she was watching.

“Wow...” she began. “He's really goin' strong, ain't he?” Her head bobbed and wobbled on and on as the exercise continued. She packed up the used plates, putting them in the bag. As she stood, there was a stumblenin her steps, her legs nearly as asleep as her friend. “Hey! Yer food is still here if ya want it! I've gotta head on back to Sweet Apple Acres!”

Without skipping a beat, Boltsinger pushed himself up far enough that he could make a quick gesture with his wing and continue his exercise. “All right, thank you! Applejack, right?”

Applejack laughed. “Yep, that's right!” she affirmed, waving a hoof and walking off.

Another three hours passed, and the sky was beginning to turn orange with twilight. At that time, the pony named for the hour trotted up, her dragon assistant in tow.

“So this is where you went!” she said, walking up to the field between the two Pegasi. She looked at each of them with a cocked eyebrow. “Um... What's going on here?”

Boltsinger continued, completely undeterred. Twilight looked over at Spike.

“I got nothing.” the dragon shrugged. Twilight rolled her eyes and smiled, looking over at her sleeping friend.

The Alicorn trotted up to the passed out Pegasus. “Rainbow Dash!” She shouted, letting the force of her voice lift her off the ground a bi5.

The attempt worked, as Rainbow Dash's head shot up, looking around in multiple directions. “What?! Where? HOW?!”

Twilight placed a hoof on Rainbow's head, directing her gaze towards Boltsinger, who was still focused on his exercise. “What's going on?”

Rainbow Dash looked hard at the pony she was training. “Whoa...” She got up and cantered over to him to take a closer look. He had built up a bit of a sweat, but he was still going like it was nothing, showing almost no signs of fatigue in the moment. “Umm... Okay, you can stop now!”

Boltsinger directed his gaze up to the mare. “You sure? You said I should keep going until I got tired. I'm not really there yet.”

Rainbow Dash nodded, trying to keep a cool expression. “Yeah, I think after this much, I have an idea of how much stamina you've got to work with.”

Boltsinger placed his front hooves on the ground, finally letting his wings return to their resting position. “All right... Now where is that food?” he asked, looking around. “That pie looked amazi-” His gaze fell upon Twilight. “Oh! Hello, Princess Twilight!” He got up on all fours and trotted over to the lilac pony.

Twilight waved at Boltsinger with one of her wings. “Just Twilight is fine.”

“Oh... Well, all right, then... Twilight,” he finished, looking over at the food and licking his lips expectantly. “If you'll excuse me...” He dashed over to the treats that awaited him.

Twilight laughed to herself and turned towards Rainbow Dash. “So, what was going on? Why were you asleep?”

Rainbow Dash looked back and forth between Twilight and Boltsinger. “I thought I'd try to tackle that wing issue of his by giving him some personal Wonderbolt-style training!” she stated, spreading her wings and striking a pose. “I was gonna see how much stamina he had so that I could figure out just how far I could push him, so I had him do wing-ups until he got tired, buuut...”

“Buuut...?” Twilight repeated.

“He never got tired! He just kept going!” she finished, looking a little bewildered that she was even able to say such a thing. “Applejack came over and brought food for us, but he just powered right through lunch time, and I... fell asleep...”

“So... He was doing that one exercise for the entire day?” Spike asked, putting a claw to his chin.

“Yeah!” Rainbow Dash answered. “He may not have much aerial skill yet, but that stallion has stamina for actual days!”

Twilight brought a hoof up to her own chin, looking puzzled as she looked over to Boltsinger, who had just finished his apple-heavy meal. He looked over at the Princess, still having some pie filling around his mouth, and swallowed his food, smiling softly and chuckling to himself.

Seeing the Sights

Another morning came with the rising of the sun. Boltsinger woke up, looking around the room he had been allowed to stay in. It matched the overall crystal decor of the castle, and had a nice view of the countryside. He took a deep breath and opened the window. Looking over at the door, then back out at the incredible view.

This is the point where I would normally fly off... He thought, with his gaze drifting back to the door. I wouldn't want anypony to go too far out of the way just for me... But... As he pondered, he heard a knock on the door. He quickly closed the window and hurried over to the door, opening it to find Spike.

“Oh! Good morning, Spike!” The Pegasus greeted.

Spike gave a wave. “Good morning.” he replied. “Twilight wanted me to make sure you woke up. She's making breakfast.” With that, the baby dragon continued on his way, heading to the bathroom.

Boltsinger called out from his doorway. “All right, thanks!” He smiled at the thought of food and trotted down the hall, soon finding that the place was extraordinarily expansive. “Now... Where are the stairs? Where is the dining room, or the kitchen, for that matter?”

As the orange Pegasus wandered about the halls, another pony trotted up beside him. She was a Unicorn with a pink body of a lighter shade than Pinkie Pie. She had purple eyes, a slightly darker shade than Twilight's eyes, and had a dark purple wavy mane and tail, with her bangs combed to one side of her head, and bearing streaks of a slightly lighter purple, and a cyan color that seemed to pop out. Her Cutie Mark consisted of two streaks of glimmering blue light leading to a purple four-pointed star over a white star that ran perpendicular to it.

“Hey, there.” The mare said.

Boltsinger looked onward, still trying to find his way around. “Hey.” He said, as if responding automatically.

“Whatcha doing in the castle?” The mare asked.

“Trying to find the kitchen.” The stallion told her, still facing forward and trotting along. “I figured I can offer to help Twilight make breakfast. If I can ever find my way around this place! It's huge!”

“Yeah,” the Unicorn began. “I got lost a few times when I first got here, too. It's pretty hard to find your way around sometimes.”

“I hear that.” Boltsinger said. “I just hope I can get used to it all before too long.”

“Well, I can help you out if you want.” the mare offered. “Just one more question.”

“Okay.” Boltsinger responded, his gaze unwavering from the hallway.

“Who are you?”

Boltsinger tilted his head, confused. “I'm Boltsinger. Didn't I meet everypony in Canterlot a couple days ago?” He turned his head to see the unfamiliar Unicorn. His eyes grew wide as he finally realized that this was an entirely new face. “Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooh...” He droned. From there, he turned to run, only to be stopped by a baby blue magical field surrounding him shortly after taking off.

“Whoa, there! Where are you going?” She started. “It was just a simple question! It's not like I'm gonna throttle you or anything!” She pulled him closer with her magic and let go, seeing his knees shake a bit. She laughed a little as she leaned in. “You okay? You look like you had a run-in with Nightmare Moon!”

Boltsinger slapped his face with his wings in an attempt to stop his legs from trying to give out from under him. “Yeah... Yeah, I'm fine...” He looked at the mare once more. “Oh! You're that student that Twilight mentioned! Starlight, right?”

The Unicorn nodded. “Starlight Glimmer. Nice to meet you, Boltsinger.” She extended a hoof, which the Pegasus grasped with his wing for his usual kind of hoof shake. “That still doesn't explain why you're here, though.”

The two began walking down the hall again as Boltsinger explained his situation, along with what led him to Canterlot, and, in turn, to Ponyville.

“Oooooh.” Starlight started, once the explanation was finished. “All right. I don't quite understand why the Princesses went so far out of their way, but I don't see any harm in helping you out.”

“You see, that's the question I asked myself! And them!” Boltsinger exclaimed. “Princess Luna explained that it was due to the simple fact that she is a Princess, and I'm a citizen, so it was 'her honor and duty' to do what she could to help. I... still don't quite understand it, myself.” He averted his gaze to the floor as they kept walking.

Starlight looked at his expression, seeing the frown that looked just a little too natural on his face, she had an inkling of an idea. “Aaaaaahh... I think I get it now.” She said, smiling and trotting a bit faster. “Well, the kitchen and the dining room are this way. Come on!” She called out, leading him the rest of the way.

Boltsinger and Starlight arrived in the kitchen as Twilight was putting breakfast on the plates, starting to lift them with her magic. She looked over at the entering ponies, smiling and waving with her right wing. “Hey! So, I take it you two met already?” She asked, noticing that they had walked in together.

Starlight trotted over to her teacher and friend. “Yeah, he explained his whole situation on the way down here.” She replied. She leaned in and got a little closer. “Is it just me, or does he seem a little... excitable to you? And not the Pinkie Pie kind of excitable, either.”

Twilight smiled, closing her eyes and nodding. “He definitely is. But once you get used to it, there's no problem.”

“Really?” the Unicorn wondered. “He looked like he was about ready to scream when he finally got a look at me.”

Twilight sighed, but with a smile on her face. “You've just gotta learn how to approach him once he does get spooked. After that, he's just like anypony else.” She continued towards the dining room, where Spike was waiting at the table, fork and knife in his claws. Everypony else took a seat at the table as Twilight set the plates down, and they proceeded to eat their meals.

“So, Boltsinger,” Spike said, his mouth full of food. “Whatcha got planned for today?”

Boltsinger raised his head from his plate, putting a wing to his muzzle. “I hadn't thought of that... I want to get to know the castle a bit better, but I also really want to see Ponyville some more. Yesterday I just went to the track, but the tour I got was really interesting.” He looked over at Twilight, who smiled a little as her face flushed from the compliment. “So, I'd like to explore. See what all Ponyville has to offer for myself.”

After breakfast, Boltsinger and Starlight took care of the dishes while Twilight had Spike take a letter, and the stallion set out on his own in the town. He took his time, trotting along and taking in the sights, until he came upon a school house where the fillies and colts were playing outside. He looked on at them and thought back to when he was a foal. You know, once my Cutie Mark showed up, I never really got to go to school anymore... Well, I guess I can say that I learned through experience... But, I wonder how I would have turned out if I'd gotten to be around other ponies more often back then?

He shook his head, letting the past stay where it was, and then continued on. After a while, he happened upon a quaint little cottage with plenty of space around it, animals running and flying and skittering back and forth. A bear was sitting in a portion of the back yard that was clearly visible from the front of the house, holding a teacup. That's a little bit odd...the orange pony tilted his head, letting it influence his movement as he walked over to get a better view of what was happening behind the house. There, he saw the bear sitting with Fluttershy, who was laughing and petting various critters that had all snuggled up to her. He smiled and walked a little closer, trying his hardest to be silent as he did.

After about three steps, Boltsinger heard a “whoosh” from behind. He turned around to see what was there, but there was nothing. With another “whoosh” behind him, he spun around, confused. He wanted to call out to whatever was speeding on by, but before he could open his mouth, he saw a little white bunny with a perfectly fluffed tail.

“Awww...” he cooed. “Hi there, little bunny! Are you the one that's been ru--” Before he could finish his sentence, the bunny leaped forward and kicked him squarely in the face, causing him to rear up and cry out. From there, the bunny ran under him and kicked him in the knee, knocking him to the ground. “What did I do to deserve this?!” He cried as the bunny proceeded to stomp on his tail and kick him in the stomach. After about ten seconds, a familiar voice called out from behind the house.

“Angel!” it called, sounding like Fluttershy, but louder and more commanding. “What are you doing?!”

The bunny stopped its assault on the Pegasus, and looked over at the source of the voice. There stood Fluttershy, an angry look on her face. The bunny gestured to its victim, stomping hard on the ground.

“That's no excuse! Boltsinger is a friend of mine!” she scolded. “You had no business doing what you did! Now, say you're sorry!”

The bunny looked over at Boltsinger, then back at Fluttershy, pleading.

Fluttershy's expression grew more intense as she looked disapprovingly at the bunny. Its ears drooped and its face turned into a little bunny-frown as it turned to Boltsinger, patting him on the muzzle before hopping away.

As the bunny left, Fluttershy's expression returned to its natural, soft state. She fluttered over to Boltsinger, who was still groaning from the hits he took.

“Are you okay?” Fluttershy asked, leaning in to help the stallion up.

Boltsinger accepted the help and worked his way back up to his hooves. “You know, a lot of ponies seem to be asking that lately.” He mentioned. “Yeah, I'm fine. That bunny sure is a piece of work, though! How did you calm him down like that?”

“Oh, it was nothing...” the yellow mare said. “I just gave him 'The Stare' when he wouldn't listen...”

“'The Stare'?” He repeated. “You mean that really intimidating look you had?” Fluttershy nodded daintily. “That was incredible!”

Fluttershy's cheeks turned pink at the praise. “Thank you...” She walked up a little closer to him, coiling her tail up close to her flank, lowering her head and raising one of her hooves. “Um... If you don't mind my asking... Would you like to stay for some tea? It's the least I could do after what Angel did...”

Boltsinger looked at the demure mare, then over at the yard where she had the tea set placed. There was a large bear there, but somehow it seemed far less intimidating than the tiny bunny he just met. “I would love some tea.” He told her.

Fluttershy perked up a bit, smiling and leading him to the tea set, where the bear simply put its cup down and walked over to a nice patch of grass. “I'll get you a cup right now.” She trotted into the cottage.

Boltsinger sat next to the tea set. It looked like it was well-used and well cared for. He shifted his weight, trying to get comfortable. After a minute or so, Fluttershy returned, holding a cup and saucer in her mouth. She sat down across from the orange stallion and held the china out with one of her hooves. He took it with his wing as she expertly poured some tea from the pot into the cup. Clearly, she was very practiced in the art of tea serving, as if she had been doing this regularly for quite some time.

Boltsinger took a sip, finding it to be the best he’d had in a very long time. He looked back and forth between the various animals. Many were scurrying along playfully, eating their lunches and overall having a good time. A good number of them would come up to Fluttershy for attention, and she would happily oblige. The stallion smiled at the sight, then thought back on that one little bunny.

“So, Fluttershy?” he began. The mare turned her attention to him. “I have to know. Why was that bunny so aggressive? I can’t imagine he’d be like that with everypony.”

“Oh, you’re right.” she admitted. “But it’s been a while since breakfast, and he was in a bad mood because I wouldn’t let him have his favorite dish.” She held up a picture of an extravagant-looking vegetable and ice cream combination dessert with a very particular cherry gingerly placed on the top. “I used to have bigger problems when he got demanding, but nowadays, he sees it my way more often.”

“Definitely still irritated about it, at least.” Boltsinger stated, taking another sip.

After an hour or two of happy conversation, Boltsinger got up and said a farewell for the day. Continuing on his Ponyville trek, he began exploring more of the town proper. After seeing what the various stalls in the marketplace had to offer, he drew his attention to what was probably the sweetest-looking building in town. He knocked on the door with his foreleg, but found that it opened with almost zero effort. Walking in, he caught the sights and smells of hundreds of sweet confections. He looked around, seeing all sorts of cupcakes, pound cakes, and several other types of cakes strewn about various displays, with a bunch of smaller treats surrounding them. He marveled for a moment at this magical room of deliciousness until another familiar voice sounded.

“Hey!” it called from behind the counter. Boltsinger looked over, seeing Pinkie Pie behind the register with a big smile on her face. “What brings you to Sugar Cube Corner?” She asked.

“Oh! Hey, Pinkie Pie!” He walked over to the counter. “Well, to be honest, I mostly thought the building was interesting.” Boltsinger answered. “I mean, Twilight told me about this place, and most of the notable places in town, but that roof seems to catch your eye no matter what you do.”

Pinkie laughed at the remark about the building. “Yeah, it has that effect on ponies! Is there anything I can get you?”

Boltsinger scratched at his mane with his hoof. “Um... I don't really have any bits.” He admitted. “I'd love to get something, I just... don't have money.”

Pinkie's face drooped slightly. “Awwwww...” After a second, one of the dim light bulbs above her suddenly lit up brightly, and she smiled. “Well, here's a sample, anyway!” With that, she took a cupcake from out of her mane and shoved it in Boltsinger's mouth, where he instinctively started chewing, his eyes wide with surprise, followed quickly with an expression of immense satisfaction.

He swallowed the cupcake, smiling. “Okay, that was pretty amazing! I'm gonna have to see about making some money so I can try everything else here!”

Pinkie laughed. “Glad you like it! That's from a batch I made myself!”

“Somehow, that doesn't surprise me in the least.” The stallion said, turning to leave, waving with one of his wings. “Well, I gotta get going!”

Pinkie waved in return. “I'll see you later!” She called out. After he left, she rested her head on one hoof, sighing happily. “He's silly!” She pulled another cupcake from her mane and snarfed it down.

Home

It was getting a bit later in the day as Boltsinger continued his exploration of Ponyville. He had noticed a large, fancy building in a clearing. It looked very inviting, and he remembered Twilight talking about it being Rarity's place of business. He walked up to the door, carefully peeking in. Inside, he saw a number of mannequins, all dressed in extravagant and beautiful outfits. It was clear to him that the various items in the store were designed with mares in mind. He turned to keep going, but the door opened behind him.

“Why, Boltsinger!” a familiar voice exclaimed. “How delightful of you to come!”

Boltsinger turned back around, seeing Rarity in the doorway. “Oh! Hi, Rarity.” He said, waving a wing.

“So, what has brought you here today?” Rarity asked.

“Mostly curiosity. I never really took too huge of an interest in fashion.” The stallion admitted. Rarity gasped, shocked to even think of such a statement. “B-b-but...! What I saw in your boutique looks really good! Even somepony like me can see that!”

The Unicorn calmed down upon hearing the compliment. “Well, I'm glad you appreciate at least that. Won't you come in, darling?” She offered.

Boltsinger nodded as Rarity led him into the boutique. Taking a good look around the place, he found himself quite impressed. The décor screamed “fashionista”, but was more welcoming about it than some of the more uptight fashion ponies he had met. Looking at the outfits, no two mannequins held the same design. Each one was breathtakingly unique, elaborately strewn with various gems and overflowing with personality. His mouth hung open, dumbfounded at the sheer “fabulosity” before him.

Rarity trotted around, seeing the orange Pegasus' reaction to the various outfits. “I take it you like my designs?” She asked.

“It looks like... like each of these outfits were made with individual ponies in mind...” He guessed. “Is that the idea behind all of it?”

“That does seem to be how it usually turns out.” Rarity admitted, thinking back on all of the ponies that have seen something of themselves in the dresses she's sold. “Truthfully, I make outfits based on whatever inspires me. You'd be surprised just how much of Equestria is brimming with beauty when you really look at it!”

Boltsinger nodded, looking over at the glamorous Unicorn while sitting down. “I suppose if I ever needed to get dressed up, I know exactly the pony to go to, huh?

Rarity giggled, raising a hoof to her face. “It would be my pleasure, of course!”

The visiting stallion soon got up. “Well, the sun is probably going down soon. I should get to the castle for the night.”

He bade farewell to the Unicorn and left, spreading his wings and taking off towards the Castle of Friendship.

As Boltsinger came back to the castle, walking through the foyer, he smiled as he took in his surroundings. Looking at the largest doors in the room, he felt a wave of curiosity. He pushed the door open with his left foreleg, revealing a large room that had a crystal table in the middle of it, surrounded by six crystal thrones, each bearing the Cutie Marks of Twilight and her friends, with a smaller throne connected to Twilight's. The windows of the room were all a stunning green stained glass, while the ceiling above the table was adorned with a mass of tree roots, upon each hung a different gem. He flew up to look at the gems and saw images in them, showing Twilight and her friends in a myriad of situations in an old library. He could feel the love put into each of the memories he could find, starting to tear up as he saw each new image. He flew down to the side of the table, sitting down and trying to stifle his tears.

Twilight poked her head into the room, taking a look at the stallion as he looked up at the beautiful roots. “Oh! I see you found my other favorite room in the castle!” She stated.

Boltsinger slapped his face with his wings, snapping himself back to his normal disposition and looked back at the Princess. “Yeah. It's really beautiful in here...” He told her. “Not just from a looks standpoint, either.” He pointed up at the roots. “Those, especially. They remind me of a library tree that was here in Ponyville back during my first time here...”

“They should.” Twilight affirmed. “They're the roots of that very library. It's where I lived when I first moved to Ponyville... But it was destroyed during my battle with Tirek. My friends all took the roots and set them up there so that I'd be able to be at home here in the castle.”

Boltsinger smiled. “They sure are incredible ponies, aren't they?” He asked. Twilight nodded, looking up at the roots with a fond tear streaming down her cheek. Boltsinger's ears perked up as he turned to face Twilight. “You know, some of them were part of my little exploration today...” He told Twilight about his trek through town. She seemed to get a particular kick out of his run-in with Fluttershy's pet, Angel. “But, in the end, I'm really glad I came back--” His eyes grew wide, his pupils shrinking as the events of the last three days surged through his head. “Oh my gosh...” He said.

Twilight looked at the Pegasus, seeing what seemed like a look of revelation on his face. “Something wrong?” She asked.

He remained silent. His thoughts were a jumble, and he was trying to make sense of it all.

Twilight got up next to Boltsinger, putting a hoof on his shoulder. “Hey, Boltsinger!” she cried out, trying to get his attention.

There was no response. The Alicorn tried for a while, calling out to the pony in front of her. She started thinking of everything she knew about him. He's excitable, to the point where he was sent into a panic easily... No, that doesn't help... He doesn't look scared. It's like he's stuck inside his own mind... Wait, that's it!

As quickly as the idea came to her, Twilight spread her wings wide, bringing them together, hard, on either side of Boltsinger's muzzle. The sound of the slap could be heard throughout the castle.

With the impact, all of the raging thoughts in Boltsinger's head flowed together into a single point. His eyes closed, and tears welled up in them. He opened his eyes, and saw Twilight's face, fraught with worry. He panted heavily, putting his wings up to pull the Alicorn's wings away.

“Um... Th-thank you...” He told her. “I-I-I... really needed that.”

“Are you okay?” Twilight asked, the all-too familiar question ringing in Boltsinger's ears.

The doors opened, Starlight and Spike standing in the doorway with worried expressions. Neither Twilight nor Boltsinger noticed, however, as the Pegasus spoke up.

“Yeah... I'm fine...” He replied. “I-I just... need to think for a while...” He got up, his face still having a bit of shock in it, and walked out of the room.

Spike and Starlight looked at the orange pony somberly walking away, then turned to Twilight, who was still sitting there on the floor, in a little bit of her own shock.

“Twilight, what's going on?” Starlight asked. “I heard this loud noise from my room, and it sounded like somepony was hurt somehow!”

Twilight shook her head, pulling herself together, and looked at her student. “He seemed to have something happen inside. Not like when he goes into a panic. I don't know what it was, but it seems like it was a big deal...”

Spike walked up to Twilight, putting a claw on her shoulder. “Are you alright?” He asked her. “You look a little freaked out.”

The Alicorn looked at her ever-faithful assistant. She explained the situation to them, not leaving out a single detail. The Unicorn and the dragon both sat down on the floor, seemingly baffled.

“Sounds like something he said himself may have gotten to him...” Starlight mused.

“What do you mean?” Twilight inquired.

“Well, you said that he blanked out right after he mentioned something, right?” Starlight lead as Twilight's face lit up with realization.

Meanwhile, Boltsinger entered his room, walking up to the window. He sat down, looking hard at the night sky. He reached forward with one of his wings and opened the window, feeling the breeze rolling in. So, this feeling is... new... I've never had a place to go 'back' to... Not since I was a colt, at least... What in Equestria can this even mean? He felt the breeze in his mane, offering an inviting feeling. His mind jumped to wanting to just fly off and let all the amazing ponies with which he's become acquainted move on with their lives. He had spent more time with them than he thought possible. They wouldn't miss him, right? But... No... I really like it here... I want to stay... I want to meet more of the ponies here... I... “I...” As the tears welled up into his eyes, he breathed deeply, slapping his face with his wings to try and shake it off, but to no avail. He tried again, and again, doing everything he could to stop these emotions from coming out, but nothing happened. He inhaled sharply and fell to the floor, and started crying uncontrollably. “I wanna have tea with Fluttershy! I wanna try every little thing at Sugar Cube Corner! I wanna read every last book in that amazing library!!!” He called out, letting out a sobbing scream. “Please, wings... Please don't take me away from here... I wanna stay!” He continued for a while, then reared up, flapping his wings to create a breeze that closed his window, hard and loud, to the point where the lock fell into place.

Outside the door, Twilight was standing, having been looking through the slightly ajar doorway before the wind slammed it shut. Her head drooped at the thought of him being forced away by things beyond his control. Regaining her composure, she waited until the sobbing died down, then opened the door.

“Boltsinger?” She started, alerting the stallion to her presence. “How are you feeling?”

He continued laying on the floor, directing his eyes to her, but otherwise unmoving. “Greedy...” He admitted.

“What do you mean?” the Princess wondered.

“I don't wanna go anywhere... But that's not in the cards for me.” He explained, rising up to a sitting position. “I've never wanted to stay anywhere so badly... Normally once I've helped somepony with a problem that my particular skills can deal with, the ponies involved tend to just go back to their normal thing. I get a 'thank you', at least, but then most of the time I never see them again. Either they just never say anything to me again, or these malfunctioning things on my back force me to quite literally take off!” He stomped on the floor with his foreleg, spreading his wings for emphasis. “I've never... made friends before...” The statement shocked Twilight, but reminded her of her own time before Ponyville, and the friends that changed her life. “I've... never had any place to... well... go 'back' to! And if I flew away now, Celestia knows where I'll go, or if I'll ever be able to come back!” Breathing heavily again, he put his wings in their resting position and fell on his side, finally calming down.

Twilight walked over to the depressed pony and plopped onto the floor next to him. “I know exactly how you feel. I was lucky enough to have Princess Celestia 'decree' that I was to stay in Ponyville when I first came and met my friends, but before that happened, I felt terrible about the idea of having to leave them. I can't imagine being forced away, though...” She placed a hoof on his shoulder, looking him squarely in the eyes. “I've sent a letter to somepony who should be able to help on the more magical side of things. I don't think we can stop your wings from taking you places, but I think we can help you find your way back... Find your way home!”

Boltsinger sniffed, smiling weakly. “Thank you...” He said, grasping Twilight's foreleg with his wing. “I mean it. And if there's anything I can do to help you, let me know.” He got up onto his hooves, offering a wing to help the Princess. She gracefully accepted.

“Well, I should hear back from him soon.” Twilight said, brushing her side off with her tail. “For now, I think dinner is in order. You... want to help me cook?”

Boltsinger simply nodded and headed out the door, following Twilight's lead.

“You really want to read every book in the library?” Twilight asked as they walked.

“Cover to cover.“ Boltsinger answered, smiling.

Electrifying Magic

The sun rose, and the sound of a soft and somber song echoed throughout the Castle of Friendship. It sounded almost like a cello, but with small breaths taken every now and then. In her room, Twilight stirred from her sleep, slowly sitting up, her ears homing in on the music. She went through her morning routine, finding herself groggily humming along with the song. When she went into the hallway, passing by Starlight's room, its occupant walked out and joined her teacher in her trek downstairs, with Spike following suit soon after.

Starlight looked at the humming Princess as they trotted down the hall. “You hear it, too?” She inquired.

Twilight's humming stopped as her eyes opened. “Hm?” She looked at her student, wondering what she could be talking about. “I thought I was just imagining it... Where is it coming from?” Twilight picked up her pace, looking around for the source of the sound.

Eventually, the horned ponies and their dragon friend found themselves outside the door to the throne room. The sound at its loudest so far. Starlight stepped forward, pushing the door open to reveal that the entire chamber was downright sparkling. Twilight walked in with a look of wonder on her face. She looked at the map in the center of the room, seeing her reflection staring back as though she was looking in a mirror. The music continued to echo from above. She looked up with Starlight and Spike to see Boltsinger, humming to himself while wiping down the high windows.

Twilight flapped her wings, flying up next to the Pegasus, while Starlight lifted herself and Spike with her magic. “The music was coming from you?” The Alicorn asked.

Boltsinger's humming stopped, looking at those in the air with him. “Hm? Oh, yeah, it just came out while I was cleaning up around here.” He explained. “Did I wake you up?”

Twilight, Starlight, and Spike all shook their heads. “No, it just seemed like we were all imagining it when we got up.” Spike explained. “What's with all the cleaning, anyway?”

“Well...” Boltsinger started, lowering himself to the floor with everypony else. “I just felt that I ought to do something to thank all of you for letting me stay here. Is this too much?” He looked at the room, sparkles to be seen everywhere.

After a good meal and a morning of training with Rainbow Dash, Boltsinger and his fellow Pegasus came back to the castle, both flying through the front door to hear Twilight talking to somepony in the throne room.

“I don't think that's such a good idea, right now...” Twilight said. “He's only just gotten used to being in one place for more than just a little while!”

“If I am to understand what it is that is happening, I need to see it happen!” a deep male voice replied. He sounded like a very literal voice of experience.

Boltsinger opened the door, walking in to see a tall Unicorn stallion with a grey coat and hooves of a darker shade. His mane, tail, and magnificent beard were white, with faded blue accents. He wore a cloak and hat that had alternating patterns of different shades of blue, with star and moon markings all over, and a number of bells on the edges of each. He towered over the other ponies in the room, and had a permanently stern face. He looked at the new arrival in the room.

“And... this is the Pegasus in question?” He inquired. Boltsinger looked up at the intimidating Unicorn, eyes shrinking as he scooted back to attempt backing away.

Twilight's horn lit up as Boltsinger was held in his spot, still able to move his body, just unable to leave the place he stood. She ran over to him and put a hoof on his shoulder, as Rainbow Dash flew in.

“Whoa!” the cyan pony began, flying over to the Unicorn guest. “Twilight, what's Star Swirl doing here?”

Boltsinger's panic subsided as he took another look at the one Rainbow Dash referred to. “Wait... You mean Star Swirl the Bearded?” He asked, moving the hoof off of his shoulder and standing on his hind legs. “Pillar of Sorcery? Teacher to the Royal Sisters, and writer of countless nearly incomprehensible spells? Personal friend to Flash Magnus?!”

Star Swirl puffed out his chest through the orange stallion's explanation, nodding as the new face stared in awe. “Yes, young pony.” He said, his voice with an air of authority. “Twilight has informed me that your wings suffer from a rather perplexing problem.”

“U-um... Yes, that's right, sir!” Boltsinger answered, his wings tensing up at his sides. He plopped his hindquarters down onto the floor and began explaining his situation in great detail.

“Hmm... I see...” Star Swirl commented. “I have an idea that may be of some use. But before I can confirm it, I believe I will have to trigger the phenomenon.”

Boltsinger's eyes grew wide as the wizard's horn began to glow. “No... No! Please, don't!” He started scooting back again, attempting to run as a bubble formed around him from Twilight's magic.

“Star Swirl, don't!” Twilight called out, teleporting between the Pegasus and her idol. “I thought I explained this to you!”

Star Swirl sternly looked at the Alicorn in front of him. “Then what do you expect me to do?” He asked, irritated. “I must know what I am dealing with if I am to solve the problem!”

Rainbow Dash flew over and chimed in. “What if I flew with him?” She asked. Twilight and Star Swirl looked over at the Pegasus, both tilting their heads. “I can keep up with him on those 'flights' of his, easy!” She explained. Twilight brought a hoof up to her face, pondering.

“Rainbow Dash has a point.” Twilight told everypony. “I've never seen anypony as fast as her in the air. Even if she does somehow fall behind, I'm sure she can find him wherever he lands... What do you think, Boltsinger?”

The orange Pegasus looked at Rainbow Dash. “It... could work...” He began. “How long can you keep up a sustained flight at your top speed?”

Rainbow Dash smirked, reared up onto her hind legs and swiped at the air in front of her. “You think you've got stamina? You haven't seen anything yet!” She boasted. “You're looking at the only pony in all of Equestria to pull off a Sonic Rainboom!”

“Okay...” Boltsinger said. “But doesn't that not have anything to do with flying for a long period of time? Sometimes when my wings do their... thing... I don't stop for several days.” He sifted through his mane with his hooves, pulling out a bag full of various things to eat. “I even started carrying this around, just in case I take off for a while.”

“Wow.” Twilight looked surprised at just how prepared her new friend actually was for this kind of happenstance. “That's... a pretty long time to keep flying nonstop.”

“It's no problem!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, walking over to Boltsinger and putting her hoof around him. “You know I've got this!”

“All right...” Twilight said, acquiescing to the idea.

Boltsinger looked back and forth between Twilight, Star Swirl, and Rainbow Dash, seeing the confident look on the Pegasus' face, and the determined look on the bearded Unicorn's. He slapped his face with his wings, standing up firmly.

“All right, then...” He said, following a long pause. “If we're going to do this, then I'm gonna need some space... And an open window!” He flew up to every window in the chamber that could open, swinging them open wide, then landed on top of the map. “Is this a good spot?”

Twilight looked at the map, then to the pony on top of it. “That might...” Looking back at the map, she saw the image of all of Equestria spring to life under him. “Actually work... Yeah! Let's do it right there!”

Star Swirl's horn began glowing again. “Very well. Now, I don't know where you will end up, but it should follow the trend you described. I should have some kind of solution upon your return.” Boltsinger inhaled deeply, nodding and spreading his wings. Star Swirl closed his eyes, focusing hard. He pointed his horn at the Pegasus standing in the center of the room, letting loose a powerful surge of white magical energy that shot directly into his wings.

As the magic struck him, Boltsinger felt a familiar tingling in his wings. The lightning on his Cutie Mark began crackling intensely, and electricity in the same color as his Cutie Mark's began discharging from his wings, hitting the map below. His face tensed up, clenching his teeth, and he brought his front half low. His wings began flapping, creating a gust that threatened to push Twilight, Star Swirl, and Rainbow Dash backwards, until he let out a yell that echoed through the castle and into Ponyville. He took off, leaving an orange streak with an electric blue lightning bolt behind him, zooming out of the nearest open window.

Having finally seen the phenomenon first hoof, Twilight's hindquarters dropped to the floor, her eyes wide and her ears low. Rainbow Dash looked on with a similar expression, seemingly in awe of the occurrence. Star Swirl looked at the map, which still had a leftover electrical charge. He walked over to the table, examining it.

“Rainbow Dash, you had best take off after him.” Star Swirl noted, his gaze fixed on the sparks flying from the map.

Rainbow Dash rapidly shook her head, coming out of a daze. “Oh yeah! Right!” She exclaimed as she took flight, the rainbow streak following the orange one.

“Twilight, I have an idea, but I will need your assistance with this.” Star Swirl said, looking at the Alicorn. She was still in awe of what she'd just borne witness to. “Twilight!” He repeated. The lilac pony blinked, turning her head to look at the Unicorn in the room with her.

“Right! What do you need?” She asked, walking towards Star Swirl. They continued discussing the wizard's idea for some time.

Two days later, in the city of Manehattan, an off-white-coated Earth Pony was working tirelessly on getting costumes prepared while a myriad of actors were rehearsing on stage in the central park. She had a two-tone blue mane and tail, with her mane in a bobbed hairstyle, and light blue eyes. She wore a lavender sailor collar with a scarlet tie, as well as a hair clip in her mane that featured three shades of red. Her Cutie Mark featured a lavender floppy hat with a scarlet feather sticking out. As she hung all of the outfits into place, a mare cantered up to her in a panic.

“Miss Pommel!” She cried, drawing the pony's attention. “All of our sound equipment is broken! We won't be able to get everypony in the crowd to hear the performance!”

The Earth Pony looked over at the equipment with wide eyes, seeing the majority of it broken apart and letting out small surges of electricity every which way.

“Oh no!” She exclaimed. “But, without any equipment, we can't put on the Revival!”

The mare that delivered the news looked back at the stage, seeing the shape of it and thinking. “Well, I suppose the Method Mares could probably project enough for the audience to hear, provided it isn't too large...”

The two mares looked on at the crowd that was already beginning to form. Several ponies had already taken a seat on blankets throughout the restored park, with more ponies gathering behind them.

“This... is probably too big of a crowd for that...” Miss Pommel admitted, hanging her head. She walked up to the front of the crowd. “Fillies and gentlecolts, I have an announcement to make!”

As the crowd turned their attention to the mare, a crash was heard behind the stage, sending a large cloud of dust into the air. The crowd gasped, and Miss Pommel rushed to the source. There, she found a bright orange-coated Pegasus stallion with a blue mane and tail that bore electric blue streaks strewn erratically through them. His wings were giving off a mild electrical discharge, slowly dying down and retreating into his body. His face was buried in the dirt, and his rump was positioned squarely in the air above his head, his eyes wobbling due to the dizziness of the landing.

“It's okay, Flutterguy, I'm just getting beaten by a wittle bunny wabbit...” He deliriously droned, lifting one of his forelegs, as if making some grand statement.

“Oh my gosh!” Miss Pommel shouted, running up to the crashed flyer. “Are you alright?” She leaned in and poked at his side with her hoof.

The stallion blinked, his eyes regaining focus. “Wait, what?!” He cried, jumping to his hooves and looking around frantically. “Where am I?”

The off-white mare looked confused, seeing the Pegasus' strange behavior. “You're in Manehattan!” She replied. “Are you here for the Revival?”

The stallion looked at the pony before him. “Ah. Um, no, I'm not here for the... Revival, you said?” he asked, seeing a nodding mare in response.

Miss Pommel looked more closely at the new pony's Cutie Mark, seeing the microphone with the cord of lightning, her eyes brightened. “Say, would you be able to help me with something?” She wondered.

“Ummm... Let me guess, you have a problem with something that needs sound, sound amplification, or somepony to sing?” he wondered in return.

“Actually, yes!” the mare confirmed. “Our sound system is broken, so the performers and the band don't have any microphones to use to get their performances to the whole crowd! And it's a big crowd...” She motioned to the large gathering of ponies in front of the stage.

The stallion flew up to look over the top of the stage. “I thought it was something like that...” He fluttered back down to the ground next to the mare. “I'm Boltsinger. I think I should be able to help with the issue.” He offered a wing in greeting.

The mare put her hoof in his wing. “Really?! You can fix our equipment?!” She shook her hoof in his wing rapidly. “My name is Coco Pommel! Thank you so much! The performance is in a few minutes!”

“All right.” Boltsinger confirmed. “So, I can't actually fix the sound equipment, but I can do the next best thing.” He started hovering above the ground. “Just start the performance like you normally would, and I'll take care of your problem!” He flew back up to the top of the stage as the twilight hour began to ebb.

Coco looked up at the Pegasus and then out at the crowd. “Oh! Well, then, I'll let the crowd know!”

After a few more minutes had passed, a rainbow streak flew into the crowd, looking at the wind-blown silhouette above the stage with a knowing look. Rainbow Dash flew up, landing next to her friend.

“So this is where you went!” she said, slapping him on the back with her hoof. “What're you doing up here? The play is down there!” She pointed towards the stage where Coco would be addressing the masses.

“Yeah, I know. That's why I'm up here.” Boltsinger clarified, his gaze not moving from the stage below or the ponies looking at it. “I'm the 'sound guy' for tonight's show.”

“What do you--” Rainbow Dash was interrupted as Boltsinger put a hoof over her mouth. Her sight turned towards Coco, who was taking a deep breath for her announcement. As she opened her mouth, Boltsinger lightly flapped his wings, sending a strange kind of wind through the area.

“Fillies and gentlecolts!” Coco said to the crowd. Her voice seemed louder than it would normally be, even if she was projecting. “I present to you, Hinnie in the Hills!” She backed up, letting the performers take their places as the band began to play.

Throughout the performance, Boltsinger kept up his breeze, amplifying the voices of the players along with the music of the band. It felt almost like there was a natural microphone surrounding the area. The production sounded as if it was taking place in a grand theater rather than an open field in the park. Rainbow Dash flew up and looked at the play from above. Seeing her favorite musical was one thing, but the fact that this already high-quality production sounded so clear with only just one pony’s wings doing any sound work was just awesome! She flew back over to Boltsinger as the show ended, slapping him on the back again as she landed.

“How did you do that?!” she excitedly asked.

Boltsinger stopped his breeze, jumping down from atop the stage with his fellow Pegasus in tow. “It's the thing I did when I got my Cutie Mark, just on a smaller scale.” He told her, walking away from the park. “I call it my 'microphone effect'. I can carry a sound just about anywhere with the wind.”

Rainbow Dash looked confused at the explanation. “How does that work?” She wondered, tilting her head.

Boltsinger looked back at his flight coach with a smirk on his face, raising a wing and making a twisting motion to create a pocket of air. He whispered something into the pocket and whipped it behind him.

“Like this.” Boltsinger's voice rang from behind Rainbow Dash, causing her to jump and turn around.

“What was that?!” She looked for the source of the sound, but to no avail. Boltsinger laughed to himself and whipped another air pocket behind him.

“It was me, Rainbow.” his voice came from above her, this time. She flew up into the air, looking around some more. The stallion laughed out loud as the mare seemed to panic. He called out to her normally. “Hey, calm down!”

Rainbow Dash looked over at Boltsinger, seeing him laugh at his own joke. She laughed a little to herself, seeing how she'd been pranked. She trotted up next to him as they continued walking.

“So, why aren't you back there in front of the crowd?” the cyan pony inquired, gesturing back at the cheering masses. “You're the whole reason the show was a success!”

“I didn't do anything all that important.” Boltsinger answered. “The actors and the band did all the real work. The ponies here put on the production. I just made it so that the crowd could hear it.”

On the stage, Coco looked on at the Pegasus that appeared like magic and saved the Theater Revival that she cared so deeply about, wondering what exactly brought him there, and why he didn't stay to meet everypony.

The Gift

Three days after Star Swirl's arrival, Twilight, Starlight, and Spike waited at the train station. The Princess of Friendship had gotten word from Rainbow Dash that her friends had ended up in Manehattan, where Boltsinger assisted in the Midsummer Theater Revival, and that the two would be arriving back in Ponyville today. Spike was holding a small box, looking over at Twilight.

Starlight leaned in close to Twilight. “So, you think the trinket will work?” She asked, looking at the box in Spike's claws.

“I think so...” Twilight replied. “Star Swirl and I spent a day and a half working on it, after all.”

After a while longer, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy joined the horned equines and the dragon on the platform, waiting as the train rolled into the station. The doors opened, with ponies disembarking everywhere. The mares looked around, trying to find their Pegasus friends in the crowd.

Behind Pinkie Pie, a voice sounded. “Hi, Pinkie!” It said, causing the party pony to jump excitedly and spin around to greet...

Nopony. Nopony was there.

“WHAT?!” Pinkie squealed, jumping and screaming. “Where is that coming from?!” She landed, looking around in a panic.

Behind Rarity, the voice sounded again. “Hi, Rarity! Tell Fluttershy I said hi, too. I don't wanna scare her.” Rarity looked behind her, trying to find the source.

“Oh, my... Where is all of this coming from?” The fashionista wondered.

Pinkie zoomed over to Rarity, wrapping her forelegs around her friend's. “It's a GHOST!” She shouted, her eyes darting back and forth.

“Oh, Pinkie, I very much doubt it is a ghost.” Rarity informed her. “Otherwise the voice wouldn't sound so familiar!”

“Maybe somepony we know turned into a ghost!” Pinkie began rambling. “Maybe he met with a terrible fate and is haunting us for the rest of our lives because we were horrible, horrible, HORRIBLE friends!”

This time, the voice sounded from behind Applejack. “Let Pinkie know that it's not a ghost, please.” Applejack looked behind her, seeing nopony there.

She chuckled to herself. “All right, Bolt. I'll let her know.” She responded, directing her attention to the panicking pink party pony. “Pinkie, it's not a ghost! It's just Boltsinger!”

Pinkie looked at her not-sure-if-they-were-actually-related-or-not-cousin, unsure of whether or not she was pulling her leg. Applejack gave her a stern look, implying that her friend should know better.

The train whistle blew as the train began to leave the station. After it left, the voice came from above.

“I'm sorry!” It said. “I didn't want to do this to everypony, but Rainbow Dash wouldn't stop bugging me to mess with all of you!”

Boltsinger fluttered down from above and stood in the middle of the group, scratching his head with his wing, lowering his ears, coiling his tail around his flank, and averting his gaze with a sheepish grin. Rainbow Dash followed suit, her hooves on her stomach as she hovered above the group, laughing like a mad mare.

Fluttershy looked at Boltsinger, confused. “What do you mean?” She asked, having been the only pony to not hear the 'disembodied voices'.

Boltsinger explained the very basics of his microphone effect, whipping a pocket of air next to Fluttershy's ear.

“Like this.” She heard, seeming to feel like a whisper. She looked surprised for a second, but giggled, understanding what he meant.

“You should have seen him during the Revival!” Rainbow Dash started. “It was like he was a totally different pony!” Boltsinger blushed a bit, retreating into himself. “He was so serious, confident. He was the whole reason anypony could hear the show!”

Boltsinger chortled nervously, starting to walk out of the station. “I didn't do anything that cool.” He said. “All I did was sit on a roof and flap my wings a bunch.”

Twilight smiled and trotted over to the Pegasus. “Well, no matter how much you did, you still helped a lot of ponies.” She reminded him. “And that's always amazing!” The other mares all nodded and commented in agreement.

“I... guess so.” Boltsinger said, his ears perking up again. “So, how did it go with Star Swirl?”

“Well, we were able to come up with something. I'll tell you more about it later.” She told him.

“Before that, we need to get to Sugar Cube Corner!” Pinkie noted. “We gotta celebrate your 'Welcome-back-to-Ponyville-and-congrats-on-not-flying-away-again' party!”

“Um...” Boltsinger started. “Ooooooookay...” He looked at Pinkie Pie's bouncing form as she started towards the confectionery shop.

Applejack followed behind Pinkie Pie, looking back at the group. “I hope ya don't mind if I bring in some treats from the farm! The way I figure, I can get a supply of apples to the store, and offer up sumthin’ scrumptious at the same time!”

Pinkie smiled back at the other Earth Pony, giggling. “Why would I mind?” She asked. “Those treats are good!”

With a grin, Applejack veered off towards Sweet Apple Acres. Boltsinger looked at the farm pony, wondering what it was even like over there. Something he figured he would see for himself, eventually.

When they reached Sugar Cube Corner, there were already a lot of decorations in place. The proprietors of the establishment, the Cakes, welcomed the guests while their foals played in the corner. It seemed less extravagant than the first party Pinkie threw for him, but it looked nice. Not too complicated.

After a few minutes, there was a galloping sound heard outside, with a rolling behind it. Boltsinger walked over to the door to see a large red Earth Pony stallion with an orange mane and tail cut short, off-yellow hooves, and white freckles at the corners of his green eyes. His Cutie Mark was a big, green apple sliced clean in half, and he wore a yoke around his neck. He lifted various boxes and barrels off of the cart he was pulling, bringing them to the door as Applejack trotted in.

“Howdy, everypony!” Applejack greeted. “I hope ya don't mind, but I brought my siblings along fer the party!” She turned to the orange Pegasus in the room. “Bolt, I'd like you ta meet Big Macintosh,” his attention was directed at the red stallion. “and Apple Bloom!” She held out a hoof, diverting his attention over to a yellow Earth Pony filly with a bright red mane and tail and orange eyes. Her Cutie Mark featured a three-tone pink shield that had a smaller image of a big purple apple with a pink heart squarely in the middle of it.

“Hi, Bolt!” Apple Bloom said first, running up to Boltsinger. “It's a pleasure to meet ya!” She picked up one of Boltsinger's hooves with her forelegs and shook rapidly, not giving the stallion any time to respond. “So, I hear you got a real inerestin' Cutie Mark! Can I see it? Pleeeeeease?” she looked at the Pegasus with big, pleading eyes.

Applejack bit onto her sister's tail and pulled her away from the somewhat bewildered pony. “Apple Bloom! You know better than to ask those questions right when you meet somepony!” She looked sternly at her sister. “Ya gotta give 'im some space before ya start talkin’ ‘bout Cutie Marks 'n such!”

Big Macintosh walked in at a leisurely pace, nodding to the Pegasus stallion as he mozied on by. He pulled a small wagon behind him, full of apple muffins, apple fritters, apple pies, applesauce, baked apples, caramel apples, and a moderately-sized apple cake. Boltsinger looked at the red pony and nodded in return.

While the farm ponies were setting up the contents of the wagon, Boltsinger walked over next to the other stallion.

“So, you're Applejack's brother, right?” Boltsinger asked, picking up plates and putting them on the table.

“Eeyup.” Big Macintosh replied.

“Younger brother?”

“Nnope.”

“Twin brother?”

“Nnope.”

“Older brother?”

“Eeyup.”

“Got a nickname?”

“Eeyup.”

“Big Mac?”

“Eeyup.”

“Mind if I call you that?”

“Nnope.”

“Cool.” Boltsinger nodded, a chilled out look on his face.

“Eeyup.” Big Mac followed suit.

The mares all looked at the stallions, looking back and forth between them. Surprised at how easily they got acquainted.

Applejack chuckled to herself, sighing happily. “Boys, right?” The other mares laughed in kind.

Once the Apple siblings had set up their contribution, Pinkie turned on a phonograph, starting up some upbeat party music. A few measures in, various heads in the room started bobbing with the beat, including Twilight, Fluttershy, Apple Bloom, and Boltsinger. Through the small celebration, there were various party games set up, including, but not limited to, Pin the Tail on the Pony.

After a number of songs were done and the food was mostly eaten, the Alicorn in the room came up to the Pegasus Pinkie planned the party for, lifting a little box out of Spike's claws with her magic and floating it in the air in front of her.

“So, Boltsinger?” She began, getting his attention from his rather one-sided conversation with Big Mac. “I have something for you.”

Boltsinger looked at the Alicorn, seeing her smiling face and bringing up the corners of his mouth in turn. “Oh?” He said. “What kind of 'something'?”

Twilight floated the box over to her purple-eyed friend. “This kind of 'something'.” She informed him. “Star Swirl and I worked non-stop for a day and a half on this.” She opened the box, revealing a white crystal pendant in the shape of a lightning bolt, lined with topaz in the shape of further electrical discharge. Boltsinger's eyes grew wide as the necklace was presented to him, but then his face shifted to one of confusion.

“This is really nice, but... What on earth is it for?” He asked.

Twilight dropped the box, instead holding the pendant in the air, rotating it between her and Boltsinger. “This pendant was made using the electricity you gave off when Star Swirl activated the magic in your wings, mixed with a little bit of the magic inside the map you were standing on.”

Boltsinger leaned in and took a close look at it, seeing a bit of lightning surging through it.

“Of course, I added the gems to accentuate the electrifying appeal!” Rarity added. “It took soooo long to get the topaz just right!”

“It's not just meant to look good, either.” Twilight continued, putting the pendant on Boltsinger. “The combination of the magics inside it will allow us to track you on the map the next time your side of the magic kicks in!” She stood on her hind legs, spreading her wings and forelegs with her face lit up in excitement.

Boltsinger's gaze drifted towards the object now hanging from his neck. An electric spark flashed in his eyes, and he looked back and forth between all of the ponies in the room, finally fixing his eyes on Twilight.

“So, you're saying that no matter where these wings might take me, you’ll always know where I arrive at?” he inquired. “I'll always have a way home?!” Twilight nodded, not breaking her current pose. Boltsinger smiled wide, flapping his wings absurdly hard and diving into Twilight, hugging her tightly. “THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!!!” He flew out the door with the Alicorn in his arms, feeling her return the embrace and doing loops in the sky above Ponyville, twisting in the air as they rose upward with Boltsinger's flight trail following behind them, until stopping in the air above the castle. Boltsinger hung in the air a bit as the embrace broke, spreading his wings and all four of his legs out, lightning shooting out of the tips of his feathers in multiple directions. “YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYES!!!” He shouted, the sound carrying all through Ponyville.

Twilight hovered in the air, looking at the ecstatic stallion and laughing with joy. The lightning surrounding the Pegasus faded as he began to hyperventilate, fluttering back down to the ground where the other ponies and the dragon looked up at the two.

Boltsinger cleared his throat as he and Twilight landed. He sat on the ground and scratched his head with his wing. “Ummm... Sorry about that...” Everypony in the group simply laughed out loud.

Flurry in Flight

The sun shined over the Crystal Empire as the train rolled into the station, whistle blowing. The doors opened, and Rarity jumped out onto the platform, looking fondly out at the splendid view before her.

“Oh, goodness!!!” She exclaimed, her mane blowing in the breeze. “It’s been far too long! Crystal Empire, where has the time gone?” She closed her eyes and tilted her head dramatically, bringing a foreleg to her forehead.

Applejack walked up from behind the Unicorn while towing a large trailer full of luggage. “Uh, Rarity?” She started. “Y’all were here just last week.”

Rarity’s expression shifted to one of realization. “Oh.” She brought her foreleg down, her face going back to normal, stifling a giggle. “Well, any amount of time away from such an incredible kingdom is too long!”

Boltsinger disembarked the train, seeing Rarity’s little performance and laughing as everypony else came to appreciate the view. “This place really is beautiful…”

“Beautiful?” Rarity repeated. “It’s positively gorgeous! Have you ever seen the Empire in full bloom?”

“Well…” the stallion put a hoof to his muzzle, thinking to himself. His face brightened up as he extended his hoof out. “I know they’ve got a really great library!”

Rarity’s jaw dropped. She looked back and forth between Boltsinger and Twilight, who was giggling and nodding profusely at the Pegasus’ statement. “But what about the Crystal ponies? Did you ever meet any of them?”

“Of course I did.” Boltsinger replied. “I had to eat sometime, and some of the guards and the librarian are all Crystal ponies, too!”

Rarity hung her head, seeing all too well that her point was lost on him. “You can at least acknowledge that they were… pretty, right?”

“Well, I’d have to be blind not to see that.” Boltsinger agreed, moving to walk towards the kingdom.

Fluttershy stood next to Rarity. “Don’t worry, Rarity. I’m sure he appreciates it in his own way.”

The Unicorn sighed, perking up. “I’m sure you’re right, of course.” She continued on with the others.

Starlight came from the back of the pack, trotting up to Twilight. “I’m really looking forward to seeing Sunburst!” She told her mentor. “I wonder what kind of antiques he’s managed to collect since his last visit...”

Twilight smiled. “I’m sure he’ll tell you all about them.” She turned to Boltsinger, beaming. “I know we’re here to find a book, but I’m most looking forward to seeing Flurry Heart!”

“Is that a friend of yours?” he asked.

“Nope!” the Alicorn corrected. “My niece! I plan to go see her and her parents after our visit with Sunburst!”

Boltsinger smiled at his royal friend. “Oh, cool! Well, I hope you have the best visit ever!”

Twilight’s face softened as she leaned in closer to the stallion.“You… want to come meet them?” She offered.

“Um… Really?” Boltsinger wondered. “Aren’t they family, though? You should go and have some quality time. I would probably just get in the way…”

Rarity pulled Boltsinger aside, whispering into his ear. “Boltsinger, darling, you can’t possibly turn down an invitation like this one!” She told him. “This is your opportunity to meet not just one, but two Princesses!”

“But… I already know three.” the Pegasus responded. “That’s already more than I ever thought I would meet.”

“Yes, but would you really want to turn down an invitation like that from a beautiful mare like her?” she reiterated, pointing a hoof at Twilight.

Boltsinger looked over at the Princess, who was looking at Rarity with a puzzled expression. He looked back at Rarity, then back at Twilight. Rarity giggled.

“My dear boy, this is an offer you simply must accept!” the fashionista pressed.

“But I--”

“You MUST!”

“Bu--”

“You MUST!!!”

Boltsinger’s eyes grew wide as he looked over at Twilight. “Um, Rarity, you know that I’m not in that kind of relationship with Twilight, right?” He reminded her. “I mean, you’re definitely not wrong. She’s definitely beautiful, but…”

“Well, suit yourself.” the Unicorn said, looking at the stallion with knowing eyes. “But if you don’t take this chance now, you’ll most certainly regret it!”

Boltsinger scratched his head, his face flushed, but uncertain as he went back over to the Princess. “Okay, I’ve thought about it, and… Yes, I will join you!”

“Oh!” the Alicorn said. “I look forward to it!” She laughed as they made their way into the main town.

After a while of walking, Pinkie had bounced off in one direction, while Rarity and Fluttershy directed their attention to the spa. Rainbow Dash and Applejack had gotten into an argument regarding jousting, and had gone off to settle it. In the end, Twilight, Starlight, and Boltsinger were the only three standing in front of a fairly ordinary-looking house. Twilight walked up to the door, knocking with her hoof.

The door opened, revealing a fiery-shaded orange Unicorn stallion with an unkempt red mane, tail, and beard. Between his teal eyes and leading down to his nose, his coat was an off-white color in the same shade as his hooves. He wore a pair of large glasses on the tip of his snout, along with a blue cloak with teal trim and star patterns all around it. He looked at the ponies at his door, seeming both confused and delighted at the same time.

“Starlight, Twilight?” The pony started. “What are you doing here?” His eyes turned to Boltsinger. “And… aren’t you…?”

Starlight walked up to her friend, giving him a big hug. “Sunburst! It’s so good to see you!”

Sunburst accepted the embrace, still looking at the other two guests. “It’s nice to see you, too. But… That still doesn’t explain…” He motioned to Twilight and Boltsinger with a foreleg. “All of this.”

“Oh…” Starlight said, laughing to herself and backing off with noticeably red cheeks. “Yeah… I’ll… let you two talk.”

Sunburst backed up and let his guests inside, everyone taking a seat in the living room. Twilight proceeded to explain the research she was doing, which led to her and Sunburst talking at length on the topic. Sunburst would name various books, and Twilight would talk about her findings in each. While they talked, Starlight and Boltsinger turned to one another.

“So, how much of this do you understand?” Boltsinger asked.

“I understand some of it…” Starlight answered. “I haven’t studied Cutie Marks like Twilight has. So, what was Rarity saying that had you so flustered earlier?”

“Um... “ Boltsinger leaned in next to Starlight. “She was convincing me to go with Twilight to see her niece. I think she’s under the impression that I have a…”

Starlight looked at the Pegasus with wide eyes. “You have a…?”

“Well, that is to say…” He continued.

“Well, what is it?!” Starlight inquired, her face getting closer.

Boltsinger turned his gaze back towards the Princess. “She thinks I have… a ‘thing’ for Twilight…” He admitted. “She was using Twilight’s… um… her looks as part of her argument.”

“Not just her usual ‘must, must, MUST’ argument?” the Unicorn mare added.

“Well, that was part of it.”

“So… do you?”

“Do I what?”

“Do you have a ‘thing’ for Twilight?”

Boltsinger’s face went from orange to red in an instant. “What?! No… She’s… She’s way out of my league!” He looked down at his pendant, but sneaked a look back at the purple-maned pony Princess. “Besides, why would I want to risk a perfectly good friendship on something like that?” Starlight stifled a laugh as she looked at the flustered stallion. “Besides, don’t you have a ‘thing’ for Sunburst?”

Starlight’s laughter stopped in its tracks. “Okay, you’ve made your point…” She said as Sunburst left the room. He came back a moment later, holding a book in the air with his magic.

“So, what were you two talking about?” Sunburst asked as he re-entered the room.

“Nothing!” Starlight and Boltsinger simultaneously exclaimed. They each laughed nervously as Twilight took the book and placed it in her saddle bag, oblivious to the goings on in the room.

Starlight stood up from the sofa, walking over to Sunburst. “Well, I’m gonna stay here and visit with Sunburst.” She began pushing Twilight out the door, pulling Boltsinger along with her magic. “You two have fun at the castle!” She lifted a foreleg alongside her stallion friend as the winged ponies made their way to the castle.

Twilight and Boltsinger walked through the streets of the Crystal Empire, the stallion looking around at various places, really getting a look at all of the Crystal Ponies going about their day.

“So, what made you want to come with me?” Twilight asked as they made their way.

“Let’s just say Rarity was persuasive.” Boltsinger hinted. “I felt that I must come along.”

Twilight giggled. “Well, I’m sure you’ll all get along.” With that, she started flapping her wings, taking off into the air towards the castle, her stallion companion following suit. The two of them flew towards the enormous crystal palace in the center of the kingdom.

As they neared the building, a tiny purple and blue streak flew into Twilight. She spread her forelegs wide and laughed as the streak made contact, embracing what looked like an Alicorn foal with a pink coat, along with a curly violet mane and tail featuring blue streaks, with adorable light blue eyes. The two Alicorns laughed happily as they embraced one another.

Boltsinger smiled at the sight, turning his attention towards the palace, where a tall, pink Alicorn was flying over to them. Like the filly, her coat was a bright shade, and her mane and tail curled at the ends, but instead of violet and blue, they featured purple, hot pink, and white in layers. The tips of her wings made a gradient into violet, much like her eyes, which were pink at the bottom, but turned purple at the top. She wore golden shoes, along with a gold necklace and a tiny crown that rested against her horn and bore purple gems. Like the other Alicorns he had met before Twilight, her face looked more angular and mature. Her Cutie mark was a crystal heart, much like the one situated under the palace, with gold adornments on either side of it. She made her way over to the happy high-flyers, holding the small one with her magic and going in for a hug with Twilight.

“Twilight! It’s so wonderful to see you!” the tall Alicorn greeted. The two of them descended as they broke the hug, starting what looked like a foals’ game.

“Sunshine, sunshine,” the two mares trotted in place, bending low. “Ladybug’s awake!” They put their forelegs over their eyes, then quickly raised their hooves. “Clap your hooves…” They sat on their hindquarters, bumping their hooves against each other. “and do a little shake!” They turned around, raising their rumps into the air and shaking, their tails swaying in the air. They stood up normally, laughing as the taller mare floated the foal over to her, raising a foreleg and holding her directly.

“So, what brings the ‘best aunt ever’ to the Crystal Empire?” She asked.

“We came to see Sunburst about finding a book.” She told her. “But, now I have it, and I wouldn’t be the ‘best aunt ever’ if I didn’t come to see Flurry Heart!” She extended one of her wings forward, tickling the filly’s cheek, causing the happiest little giggle Boltsinger had ever heard as he landed. He smiled and looked at the mares, keeping his distance.

The taller mare looked over at the orange pony in their midst. “So, who is your friend?” She wondered. “He looks… familiar.”

Boltsinger scratched his head with his wing, laughing in his usual nervous tone and bowing in respect. “Um… My name is Boltsinger, and… Yes, Princess Cadence, you have seen me before.” From there, he went on to explain the time he was in the Crystal Empire helping Sunburst not long ago.

“Ah, I see.” Cadence replied. “Well, thank you very much for helping Sunburst back then. Your services were invaluable!”

Boltsinger’s rump hit the ground immediately, looking frazzled at the response. “Invaluable?” He repeated. “I just delivered messages about crystalling for some of the newborn foals.”

“Yes, and that allowed us to hold the ceremony without incident, which increased the Crystal Heart’s power!” Cadence clarified. “Even a small contribution to something like that is a big deal.”

Boltsinger’s eyes shrank as he came to understand the situation. “Well, um… You’re welcome, I guess.”

On the way to the castle, Twilight explained the situation regarding Boltsinger’s presence in Ponyville. All the while, Flurry Heart began flapping her wings, flying around the group as they made their way, whipping up tiny gusts of wind as she flew and laughing in the process.

“She seems like she’s having fun.” Boltsinger commented, noting the flying filly. He smirked, flapping his wings and ascending to the air beside her and whipping up his own little pockets of air. He sent playful little messages to Flurry from multiple directions, exciting her and sending her to fly in circles around him. He began flying around, doing some of the simpler maneuvers he had been learning from Rainbow Dash with the little pony trying her best to imitate.

Cadence looked at the playing ponies with a smile on her face. “Well, any pony that can make Flurry laugh like that is all right in my book.”

The airborne ponies continued their playtime for a while to come, the wind picking up as the foal flapped onward…

Playing Up A Storm

Some time later at the Crystal Palace, Twilight, Cadence, and Boltsinger sat in the throne room, Flurry Heart flying around the Pegasus and making bubbly noises. She occasionally pulled on Boltsinger’s wings in an attempt to get him airborne again.

The stallion looked at the little filly, breathing heavily. “I’m sorry, I’m just too tired to play right now.” he told her, smiling. Flurry looked at Boltsinger pleadingly, holding onto one of his wings.

“She’s really gotten into flying lately, hasn’t she?” Twilight asked, looking at the flying filly’s antics.

Cadence sighed and nodded. “Yes, we can hardly keep her on the ground anymore.” she confirmed. “I’ve had to spend a great deal of time just chasing after her. That’s how we ran into you outside.”

Twilight giggled at the thought. “I imagine Shining Armor is at his wit’s end!” She flapped her wings and ascended into the air above Flurry Heart, where the two Alicorns began chasing each other around the room, Twilight making growly noises as she floated a nearby teddy bear over to her niece.

“I’m sorry I can’t keep going.” Boltsinger started. “I can actually keep flying for longer, but she started teleporting around along with the chasing! That’s something I just can’t keep up with!”

Cadence laughed. “That’s all right. Thank you for playing with Flurry for as long as you did. She really enjoyed it.”

Twilight and Flurry chased each other around the palace, eventually causing them to zoom over a white-coated Unicorn stallion with a blue and cyan mane and tail, blue hooves, and light blue eyes. His Cutie Mark was a shield with a similar magenta star to Twilight’s, with three smaller stars shining above it. He looked at the playing ponies as they zoomed by, rather slack-jawed.

“Twily?” He wondered aloud, running after them. After following them for a solid five minutes, he found himself in the throne room, where Cadence was casually talking with a stallion he’d never seen before. “Who is this?” He asked the Princess.

“Oh! Shining Armor!” Cadence exclaimed, getting up to trot over and hug her husband. “This is Boltsinger, a friend of Twilight's!”

Shining Armor looked at the Pegasus, who saw the much larger pony and drooped his ears. “A friend, huh?” He trotted over to Boltsinger and sat down next to him, putting a hoof around him. “You sure you’re just a ‘friend’, Boltsinger?”

The orange stallion ducked his head, his eyes darting around the room. “Why is everypony assuming that today?!” He raised his head and stepped forward, spreading his wings. “First Rarity, then Starlight, and now you! What are you? Her brother?!” He raised a hoof and looked back at Shining Armor, seeing his Cutie Mark and dropping his jaw. “You’re her brother, aren’t you?”

Shining Armor closed his eyes and nodded, a sly smile present on his muzzle. Boltsinger jumped up, hovering in place and raising his forelegs, shaking them rapidly.

“I swear, sir, I’m not planning to make a move on your sister!” He shouted. “She’s a very important friend of mine, and I don’t want to ruin that! I promise!”

Shining Armor burst into laughter, walking over to the spot just below Boltsinger. He looked up at him and beckoned him down. “Calm down! It’s okay!” The Pegasus slowly descended as the playing Princesses sped on by. “Twilight may be my sister, but she’s a smart cookie.” He looked up as his sister and daughter flew by again. “I trust her to make her own choices. You don’t have to worry so much.”

Boltsinger looked at his pendant, then at Shining Armor. He laughed nervously as Twilight and Flurry Heart came back into the room.

Twilight landed, trotting up to her brother. “Shining Armor!” she greeted, giving him a hug. “I see you met my friend. What were you two talking about?”

“Nothing!” Boltsinger shouted, his forelegs in the air again. “We were just introducing ourselves, right Shining Armor?”

Shining Armor looked at the Pegasus and laughed to himself. “Yep, that’s all.” He nudged Boltsinger with an elbow. “Anyway, it’s time for Flurry to have dinner.” He walked over to his daugther, floating her over to him with his magic. “We’ll be in the kitchen!”

Cadence walked over to Twilight. “So, what kind of research are you doing that you needed Sunburst’s help?”

Twilight pulled the book out of the saddle bag that rested on the floor. “I’m doing research on Cutie Mark magic. I recently saw a new phenomenon that piqued my interest in the topic more than ever!”

“Oh?” Cadence wondered, raising a hoof. “And what ‘phenomenon’ is that?”

Boltsinger chimed in. “I think she’s talking about my Cutie Mark.” He motioned to the symbol on his flank with his wing. “Apparently it does funny things when my wings do that thing they do.”

“Oh, I see.” the Crystal Princess said. She moved to leave the room, but stopped in her tracks as she heard the sound of galloping.

“CADENCE!” Shining Armor yelled as he burst through the door. “Flurry flew outside!”

Cadence sighed, spreading her wings. “All right, I’ll go and get her!” She took off towards the nearest window. As she pulled it open, a large gust of wind blew her back into the wall. “What in Equestria?”

Twilight, Shining Armor, and Boltsinger rushed over to Cadence’s side as she hit the floor. “What was that all about?” Twilight asked, directing her gaze at the window. She flew up to the opening, where she saw Flurry in the distance.

Boltsinger flew up next to the Princess, taking a look of his own. She was flying in circles, making familiar motions with her wings. She whipped her wings back and forth in a wobbly manner, creating gusts of wind that went in every direction. Unaware of the gale surrounding her, the petit Princess laughing all the while.

“Oh… my… goodness…” As the stallion saw the filly, his ears folded down, matching the frown that formed on his face as he descended. “I’m sorry…” He said, shuddering on the floor. He began repeating himself as his forelegs hit the floor, the shuddering intensifying.

Cadence stood up and cantered over to Boltsinger. “What’s going on? What did you see?” She asked, putting her hooves on his shoulders.

Boltsinger opened his eyes, looking the Alicorn squarely in the eye. “I-I-I think… I think she’s imitating me!!!” Cadence looked at him with confusion. “I think she’s trying to imitate my microphone effect! But that requires a lot more fine control than what she has! Without the right level of control, all anypony can make is just a straight gust of wind… Which is exactly what she’s doing… And, keep in mind that her wings are as big as mine! At this rate, she’s gonna whip up a windstorm that could cause major damage!” He jutted his head forward, emphasizing the last words he said as the Princess backed up, then proceeded to hide his face behind his hooves and return to his continuous apologies.

“WHAT?!” Twilight called, swooping down to the floor, landing next to her sister-in-law. “Then we’ve got to do something!”

“I’m sorry…” Boltsinger repeated. “I just wanted to do something to make her laugh… She’s just a little filly, after all! I never expected her to try to copy me! I’m really, really sorry…!”

Twilight tapped Boltsinger’s forehead with her horn, an electric spark passing between them. “It’s not your fault, Boltsinger! Flurry has always had a tendency towards imitating older ponies... You didn’t do anything wrong!” She turned to Cadence as the stallion’s shuddering slowed. “Do you think we can get to her before it gets bad?”

Cadence looked up at the window once more. “I think so... “ She spread her wings and took off, Twilight in tow. They went into a dive, building up momentum before pointing themselves upwards. The glide gave them speed, but not much in the way of control. They sped closer to the little pony, creating barriers around themselves to stave off the wind as they flew. As they approached within a few feet, the wind intensified, knocking Cadence and Twilight away and into the side of the palace.

As the Princesses fell to the ground outside, Twilight’s friends galloped over, working to help her to her hooves. The mares looked up at the building wind, seeing the makings of a tornado.

“Don’t worry! I gotcha, Flurry!!!” Rainbow Dash shouted as she took off. She flew around in circles below the wind, working her way up in a spiral pattern in the opposite direction of the wind the foal had made. After ascending approximately 1,000 feet, the wind had formed into a proper tornado, and the lone Pegasus was blown away like her friend before her.

As Rainbow Dash fell to the ground, Twilight looked on at the tornado, seeing the filly above move from a face of joy to one of fear as the wind started to overwhelm her young wings. She curled up into a ball and created a force field around herself.

“FLURRY!!!” She cried, terrified. She took wing once more, flying into the palace. What we need is a pony that can break through that storm! I only know one pony that’s done that before!

She landed next to Boltsinger, bringing her wings together on his face. “Boltsinger!” She exclaimed. “You have to snap out of this! Flurry needs you!”

Boltsinger opened his eyes, looking at the Princess. “What do you mean?”

Twilight looked into his eyes with an expression of pure panic. “You’re the only flyer here who has ever been able to literally break through a storm! We need you to do it again!”

Boltsinger reared back his head, flapping his wings and hovering in place. “WHAT?! But I only did that the once! Ever since then, I’ve only done small stuff! I haven’t been able to make a wind that can break a storm! At least not willingly!”

“Well, maybe you just haven’t been called on to do it again!” Twilight pressed. “But I need you to do it again right now! You’re the only pony that can do this! Please, we need your help!!!”

Boltsinger’s eyes instinctively widened as he heard Twilight’s pleading. The words hung in his head for a moment, and he sprang to his feet. His wings let out a massive electrical discharge, forcing Twilight’s protection spell to take effect. The Pegasus stallion looked at the Alicorn, his face completely different from before.

“Right. Let’s do this!” He shouted, seeming surprisingly calm. He flapped his wings, taking off out the window and landing next to Cadence. He offered a hoof to her. “Princess, I need you to come with me. Flurry needs her mother!”

Cadence nodded, giving Boltsinger a determined hoof-bump. The two of them took off, Boltsinger in the lead. He looked back at the Princess following him.

“I’m going to cut a path! When I tell you, you need to make a dive for Flurry!” he explained.

“Right! Lead the way!” She confirmed.

Rather than going into a dive, Boltsinger made a beeline for the top of the twister, twisting in the air as he went into what looked like a protective stance with his wings. As he hit the wall of air, he spread his wings hard. The force of the motion split the tornado for a moment, revealing a scared filly in a ball of magic.

“Now, Princess!!!” Boltsinger shouted. Cadence nodded and flapped her wings repeatedly, each flap at the pinnacle of her strength, reaching the tiny Princess and wrapping her forelegs around her. She cast another protective spell around them both. Boltsinger looked over at Rainbow Dash through the hole he’d made, pointing his tail towards the bottom of the storm with a twisting motion as he flew straight up.

Rainbow Dash took the tail gesture as some kind of instruction, she shook off her earlier impact and took off towards the bottom of the twister, repeating her previous flight pattern up the outside as Boltsinger went into a nosedive directly into the center. He spread his wings, spinning into the dive in the same direction as Rainbow Dash’s spiral. The two Pegasi continued to accelerate in their respective maneuvers, with a mach cone beginning to appear around the cyan mare. As she reached the top, a massive rainbow formed behind her. Blue lightning appeared from the bottom of the twister, blowing it away in every direction as a Sonic Rainboom appeared at the top, with Boltsinger appearing on the ground below, hyperventilating with stiff, electrified wings.

“I hope… I was… able… to help…” Boltsinger managed to say as he collapsed.

Rarity's Plot Begins

The storm was gone. The Crystal Empire’s skies were clear, as the Crystal Ponies looked on at the shockwave of light that came from a massive Sonic Rainboom. At the origin point, the faint residue of a lightning bolt crackled in the air. All they had known was that a freak windstorm had shown up, creating a tornado that threatened to destroy the place. Many Crystal Ponies gathered in the plaza at the foot of the palace, seeing a collapsed orange Pegasus unconscious in the middle of a localized crater.

Rainbow Dash flew from the momentum of her Sonic Rainboom, skidding to a stop next to her fellow Pegasus, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie following suit in mere moments. Applejack reached forward, trying to hoist the stallion onto her back, but his stiff wings let out a shock, sending her reeling back.

“What in the name of Celestia is goin’ on with him?!” she exclaimed, raising a hoof with a look of shock on her face.

“I dunno!” Pinkie replied, bouncing around him to get a good look. “Probably has something to do with the fact that his wings refuse to move, and there’s electricity coming off of them, and that his Cutie Mark is doing a strange ‘CRACKLEBOOM!’ thing!” She pointed a hoof at Boltsinger’s flank, where the lightning on his Cutie Mark was crackling and whipping every which way.

“I’ve never seen a Cutie Mark do that before…” Fluttershy noted.

“I’m sure nopony has ever seen a Cutie Mark do that, darling.” Rarity added. “I do believe this is more Twilight's area of expertise.”

Starlight and Sunburst ran to the scene, Twilight swooping in to land next to them. "Is… he okay?” Sunburst asked. “I’ve never seen magic like that coming off of a pony…”

Twilight lifted the Pegasus with her magic, where sparks flew from his wings to disrupt the aura. Starlight added her own magic to the mix as the two carried the crackling colt into the palace, followed soon after by their friends.

“...singer!” came a familiar voice, the world around Boltsinger was hazy as he stirred from the throngs of unconsciousness. “BOLTSINGER!” He opened his eyes, seeing the concerned faces of his friends around him. Twilight was calling out to him as he put a hoof up to his head, trying hard to move his incredibly stiff wings.

“What happened to the windstorm?” Boltsinger groggily inquired. “Is Flurry okay?” He sat up, looking around for a glimpse of the filly.

Fluttershy and Rarity stepped aside, revealing Cadence holding her daughter with a foreleg. The Crystal Princess smiled as her daughter giggled. Boltsinger breathed a sigh of relief, smiling and scratching his mane with his wing.

“Thank you so much for helping me save Flurry.” Cadence said, walking up to the bed the stallion was laying in. Flurry leaped onto the bed, toddling up to Boltsinger and giving him a big hug with her wings and forelegs. “I don’t know what we would have done if anything had happened to her!” The stallion returned the hug with his forelegs, his wings starting to loosen up. Cadence floated Flurry back over to her, bowing her head as Twilight jumped into the orange pony with an embrace of her own.

Boltsinger’s heart skipped a beat as he returned the gesture. His face turned the same shade as a red delicious apple, causing Rarity, Starlight, and Applejack to snicker amongst themselves.

“I know that was a scary thing to do…” Twilight began, backing up just enough to look into the stallion’s purple eyes. “But I can’t thank you enough for rising to the occasion! What you did was amazing, brave, and… Well, you know the rest.”

Rainbow Dash hovered next to them, an excited look all over her face. “Those maneuvers you did were awesome! First, you cut through the tornado with your wings, and then… That coordination! How did you know I was ready to give it another go?!”

Boltsinger darted his eyes around. “I did all of that?” He asked. “I remember flying and going into the storm, but the details kind of escape me.” Rainbow Dash’s jaw dropped. Boltsinger got up from the bed, walking over to the nearest window. “It felt the same as it does when I land after one of my ‘flights’.” He looked over at the group. “Rainbow, do you remember how you said that I was like a completely different pony in Manehattan?”

Rainbow Dash nodded. “Yeah, I did say that. What about it?”

“Well, you’re not exactly wrong about that.” he elaborated. “You see, I’ve always felt a kind of ‘jolt’ when I land at a destination I’m needed at. I start focusing on the task at hoof, and while I’m doing it, the rest of my personality soooorta takes a back seat. I pretty much become a different pony.” He turned his body to properly face them. “So… my memory of the whole thing is… spotty. I’m glad to know I was able to help, though!”

“Well, no matter what, you saved my daughter.” Shining Armor affirmed, putting his hoof around Boltsinger’s neck. He leaned in close. “Anypony willing to do that has my approval.” He nudged the Pegasus in the side, causing him to tense up.

“A-a-a-anyway… So, how did everypony’s day go?” Boltsinger asked the group. “We can’t have been the only ones that had an interesting day!” He nervously laughed and moved to the side, taking a seat with the rest of the group as each pony elaborated on their day.

The next morning, the door to Boltsinger’s room swung open, and he trotted out, looking at his surroundings bright-eyed. He had gotten used to the idea of Princesses being nice to him, but he still hadn’t expected to stay the night in the palace. He made his way to the balcony, where he took a look at the kingdom before him. He’d seen it before, but never quite in this light. Below the balcony, the stallion noticed something new. Is that where I landed? He wondered, seeing a small crater in the ground. Seems like a heck of an impact. Kind of like when I hit that wall. He smiled and brushed it off.

As he made his way inside, a polished white hoof grabbed him around the neck, pulling him off to the side.

“Boltsinger!!!” Rarity began, pulling him along. “I need you!!!”

Boltsinger tilted his head. “Oooooooookay… what is it you need?” He asked. In that instant, his wings felt a weight on them. He looked at them to see various bags and baskets, then looked back at Rarity.

“I need somepony to accompany me while I do some light shopping before we leave this afternoon!” She explained, her eyes fluttering.

Boltsinger lifted his wings slightly, noting all of the containers hanging from them. “This is light?” He inquired. “Now I’m curious what your heavy shopping is like…”

Rarity laughed as she walked towards the door. “Ohoho, darling! You wouldn’t be able to handle my HEAVY shopping!”

The two ponies made their way into the town, approaching the shopping district after a light meal. They passed by a myriad of shops, Rarity picking out fabrics, gems, and mane-care products, turning to Boltsinger every now and then. She would examine him up and down, suddenly changing her order to get something completely different. The confused stallion just rolled his eyes and smiled through the shopping adventure, doing his best to hold up the increasingly heavy containers that hung from his wings.

Rarity trotted over to Boltsinger, taking hold of approximately half of the bags he carried with her magic. “Very well, then, we’re done for today!” She continued on her way, headed towards the train station.

Boltsinger caught up to Rarity, looking at her with confusion in his eyes. “What was all this shopping for, anyway?” He asked.

“Why, to make outfits, of course!” Rarity told him. “The Grand Galloping Gala is only a few moons away, and I want to make certain that everyone is prepared!”

Boltsinger nodded in understanding, looking forward through half-lidded eyes. “Well, I’m glad I was able to help you prepare. The Gala should be a lot of fun for you ladies!” He looked around at the Crystal Ponies, who were all talking at length about yesterday’s events. They gossiped about what they believed to have happened.

The two made it to the train station, where the Friendship Express was boarding. Pinkie bounced up next to them, taking peeks at the various things they were carrying. “Whatcha got?” She asked them.

“Oh, it’s nothing…” Rarity answered, as if brushing it off. “Just all of the materials I’ll need for the outfits we’ll all be wearing to the Grand Galloping Gala!” Her face lit up, stars in her eyes. “I’ve got smashing ideas for everypony!”

“But why did you have to take Bolt along?” Applejack queried, the trailer of Rarity’s luggage strapped to her back. “You coulda carried all o’ that, no problem!”

Rarity walked past Applejack, stopping for a second to stylishly look back. “Indeed I could have. But it’s been such a long time since I’ve had a strapping young stallion to carry my bags for me!” She leaned in close to her Earth Pony friend. “Plus, it let me get some crucial information for a future project of mine!” She whispered. She and Applejack looked over at the straining stallion knowingly, as Pinkie babbled on into the cracking up colt’s ear from atop his back.

On the train back to Ponyville, Boltsinger sat in his usual spot in the back of the car. He was looking at the countryside out the window, thinking on the events in the Empire. Directing his attention to the mares in the car, he could see Twilight in a heated discussion with the others.

“So, Twilight, you know that the Gala is coming up, right?” Rarity began.

Twilight nodded. “Of course! We’ve all got our tickets already, and I’m helping Celestia organize the whole event! Why do you ask?”

“Do you, by any chance, have a ‘plus one’ in mind for this year?” Rarity wondered. “I know you went unaccompanied to the last one.”

Twilight put a hoof to her muzzle, thinking. “Um… not that I know of. Why?”

Applejack chimed in, a sly smile on her face. “I think I might know what Rarity is gettin’ at.” She looked back at the stallion in the back of the car. “I think she might have somepony in mind for ya.”

Twilight was taken aback. “What?! You mean I should bring him along?”

“Well, darling, he was quite the hero during the storm yesterday.” Rarity explained, closing her eyes and placing a hoof around Twilight's neck. “Don’t you think he deserves a reward for his efforts?”

Twilight looked back at the Pegasus, who was staring out the window, oblivious. “Well…”

Applejack followed Rarity’s lead, putting a hoof on the Princess. “An’ I know he’d appreciate it. ‘Specially if’n it came from you.”

“Well, I see your point.” Twilight said, getting up from her seat. “I’ll go see if he’s interested!” She trotted off to the back of the car, Rarity and Applejack looking at each other and laughing.

The Princess made her way over and plopped her rump on the seat next to Boltsinger. “Hi, there!” She greeted. “How was your morning?”

“Oh, hey Twilight.” he responded. “It was a little bit of a workout. Rarity had me accompany her for some ‘light’ shopping. Naturally, I carried everything.”

Twilight winced, having a very good idea of what Rarity’s shopping trips were like. “That sounds like a tough morning…”

“Yeah, but it was interesting to see her in her element.” He elaborated. “She seemed to change her mind about something whenever she looked at me, though. But, with how much she got, I bet you’ll all look amazing at the Gala!”

“Interesting that you would bring that up…” the Alicorn started. “You see, I’ve already got my ticket, and it says that I can bring a guest with me.”

“Oh? Who do you have in mind?” Boltsinger asked. “Whoever it is must be the luckiest pony in all of Equ--”

“You.” Twilight replied, putting her hoof on Boltsinger’s side. He looked at her hoof, then at her face, his pupils shrinking.

“WHAT?!” He yelled, the power of his voice shaking the entire train. “Why do you want to take me?!” He raised a foreleg, looking absolutely terrified. “I mean, we’re friends, but that doesn’t mean you need to take me along to the biggest party of the year!”

Twilight took a deep breath, keeping her hoof on the stallion and laughing. “The fact that we’re friends is exactly why I want to take you. After what you did for Flurry Heart, it’s the very least I can do.”

Boltsinger sighed, calming himself. “If you say so… But I just did what you asked me to. It’s not like anypony else would have done any different.” He turned his head to look outside, but directed his eyes towards Twilight, smiling. “It should be a fun evening. I look forward to it.”

Confusing Couture

Weeks passed since the trip to the Crystal Empire, and life in Ponyville was in a state of relative normalcy. Boltsinger flew out of a window in the castle, taking a look at the town and swooping into the streets. Rarity had been following him for the past few days with a measuring tape, occasionally getting up close and getting measurements. He was happy to get away from the bustle of Rarity’s “inspiration”, at least for a little while.

He looked around town, seeing Apple Bloom and two other fillies talking with another foal, Big Mac was pulling the Apple Family’s sales cart behind him as Granny Smith followed behind. Eventually, he came upon Sugar Cube Corner, where the Cakes were dealing with standard customers.

“Hiya, Bolt!” Pinkie called from the kitchen. “You here for some sweets?”

Boltsinger scratched his mane, looking back as he came in. “Sweets would be great, but… I’m more or less trying to get away from Rarity for a while.”

“What do you mean?” Pinkie asked, pulling her head back behind the doorway. Boltsinger went into the kitchen, seeing Pinkie speeding around an obscenely large cake, adding icing and decorating it.

“Well, she’s been getting my measurements a lot lately. Practically every hour on the hour, she’s been showing up, looking at some part of me, and then running off.” He explained. “I feel like there would be a more expedient way to get the things she needs, but she’s been so quiet about it, rushing around. Maybe she’s distracted?”

“Maybe she’s got so many orders that she’s gotten sick of it all, and she’s going to give up fashion and is going into sculpting!” She gasped. “Maybe you’re her first sculpture model!” She put her hooves onto Boltsinger’s shoulders, rapidly shaking him. “YOU’RE GONNA BE IMMORTALIZED IN STOOOOONE!!!”

“I… don’t think it’s that.” Boltsinger replied. “So, what are you doing?” He looked at the cake, which featured a star pattern on deep purple icing. The edges of the cake had a spiral pattern from a star-shaped tip.

“Experimenting with recipes for Twilight's birthday cake!” She told him.

“Okay. So when is her birthday?” He asked, raising a hoof to his muzzle. “If her birthday is coming up… I should probably find some kind of gift for her… Ah! Books! I bet she’d love books!”

“It’s in one hundred and thirty-four days!” Pinkie clarified. “I wanna make sure I get the recipe juuuuust right!”

Boltsinger’s eyes widened. “That’s some super detail there. You prepare for this stuff this far in advance?”

Pinkie sped over to the stallion, putting her hoof around him. “You have noooooooooooooo idea!” She zoomed back over to the cake. “Wanna help me taste test?”

Boltsinger looked at the beautiful cake, his eyes shining, and his mouth letting loose a little bit of drool. He nodded his head as he inched closer to the confection.

Five minutes later, the room and the ponies in it were covered in frosting and cake bits. Boltsinger and Pinkie Pie were sitting on the floor, bellies engorged.

Boltsinger groaned. “Best… cake… EVER.” He drummed on his belly with his forelegs, making a sound similar to that of a djembe.

Pinkie giggled. “Yup. Twilight’s birthday is gonna be a-MAZ-iiiiiing!” She got up, the belly bulge somehow vanishing.

Boltsinger worked his way to his hooves, letting out a burp in the process. “Well… I think I should go see what Rarity’s been working on so frantically that she has to follow me around everywhere.”

As the stallion made his way to the door, he heard the voice of Rarity asking everypony in the establishment where Boltsinger might be. She directed her gaze towards him when Mr. Cake pointed towards the kitchen.

“Boltsinger, darling!” she exclaimed, rushing over to him. “Where in Equestria have you been?”

Boltsinger covered his mouth as another burp came out. “I was in the kitchen. Pinkie needed some… ‘help’ with a cake.”

Rarity looked at the mess that covered the colt’s coat. “I… can see that. Well, I just needed to get your measurements one more time.” She floated a measuring tape over to the stallion, taking note and turning around to walk away. “I’ll be on my way!”

Boltsinger raised a hoof. “You know, I can just come with you for the whole project if you need me to.” Rarity stopped and looked back. “It’s got to be easier than following me around.”

“Well, your outfit hasn’t quite come to the forefront yet. I’ve just been trying to keep my information on your sizes up to date!” She laughed nervously as her eyes darted around the room. “Besides! The Gala is moons away! It’s not like your outfit needs to be done immediately…” Her laughter continued as she tried to walk out farther.

“You have no idea what to do, huh?” Boltsinger flatly asked. Rarity’s pupils shrank, her ears lowering as she rushed back over to him, looking him in the eye with her most serious face.

“Oh, no no nonono… Preposterous!” She put her front hooves on his neck. “I’ve never been without inspiration! It’s just… unthinkable that I wouldn’t be able to come up with a good outfit for you!”

“Well, then, why don’t we go to your boutique, and then I can see what you’ve got. Then we can work from there.” He started walking forward, Rarity looking at him with a worried look on her face.

“You want to see?” She ran up in front of him. “You really want to see?!”

“Yep. If it’ll help you, at least.” Boltsinger confirmed.

“YOU CAN’T!” Rarity yelled. “I mean… I can’t possibly ruin the surprise for you! You’ll have to… go home and wait until I’m finished!”

Boltsinger looked at Rarity, looking both confused and concerned. “Alright… I guess I’ll go home, then.” Boltsinger spread his wings and took off out the door, ascending as he left the building.

Rarity, seeing the Pegasus fly away, ran out of Sugar Cube Corner, making a beeline for the Carousel Boutique and looking around at the ground level to see if she might be followed. She ran into the boutique, slamming the door behind her.

Overhead, Boltsinger was sitting on a cloud, watching her run by. Once she was inside, he flew over to a window, where Rarity was standing over a box containing much of what they bought in the Crystal Empire. She looked at the fabric and jewels, putting a hoof to her muzzle contemplatively.

“Why on earth is this so hard?” She floated a piece of parchment over, looking between it and the materials so rapidly that when she finally stopped, her mane had begun to split apart. “Any other time, I can come up with an outfit in an instant! What’s so different about this one?!”

Boltsinger sighed and descended to the ground, walking to the castle. He went to the library, where Twilight was reading the book Sunburst referred to her.

“How is the research coming?” Boltsinger inquired.

“It’s fascinating! I’m learning more about phenomena regarding Cutie Marks every day!” She excitedly answered. “Did you know that some Cutie Marks will respond based on how the talent they’re associated with is used? Your Cutie Mark still has a few mysteries to solve, but I’m really making headway on the subject!”

“That’s really cool!” Boltsinger responded, his ears perking up. Twilight looked back at him, smiling, but her face turning to worry as she saw him pawing at the floor with his hoof. “Twilight, can I ask you a question?”

“What do you need?” Twilight replied, putting the book down and getting up from her chair.

“So, I think Rarity might be having a problem.” He began. “She’s been following me for the past few days, taking measurements and various other things. I know she’s trying to make an outfit for me, and I really appreciate that she’s going that far, but… She seems really… um… I can’t think of the word…”

“Frazzled?” Spike suggested, walking behind him with a book that he added to the stack of books on the table.

“Yeah! Frazzled! Thank you!” he said. He went on to explain the situation to Twilight and Spike. “... and I was wondering how we might be able to help…”

Twilight turned her head, bringing a hoof up to her face. “It is odd that Rarity would have trouble coming up with an outfit. I think we should go talk to her about it. Come on!” She spread her wings, Spike jumping onto her back as the two ponies trotted out the door.

Rarity was at her wit’s end. She had been occupying her mind to the best of her ability with the outfits for the others, but every time she turned her attention to the materials for Boltsinger’s outfit, she drew a blank. She briefly contemplated biting her hooves, but brushed off the thought as unthinkable. She just got a hooficure, after all. She was about to go back to work on something else when the bell rang, signalling that somepony had arrived. Perking up at the thought of a distraction from all of this, she ran down to the shop, stopping in her tracks as she saw Twilight, Spike, and Boltsinger.

“Twilight! What brings you here?” She asked, her eye twitching. “And… Boltsinger… How are you?”

“That’s just what we were going to ask you.” Twilight told her friend. “Boltsinger told me you’ve been a bit frazzled lately.”

“Frazzled?!” Rarity repeated with a slightly freaked out smile. “Why in Equestria would I ever be fra-ha-ha-zled?” She backed up, bumping against a mannequin.

“Something about a lack of inspiration.” Boltsinger hinted.

Rarity shook her head, holding up a hoof. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! I’M ALWAYS INSPIRED!!!” She stomped her hoof, glaring angrily at the visitors. “This is about that outfit of yours, isn’t it?”

“No, Rarity, this is about you.” Twilight corrected. “Boltsinger saw that this was clearly bothering you and told me about it. We’re here to help, Rarity.”

“She’s right. I’m not worried about the outfit.” Boltsinger confirmed. “What I see is a friend in need. So, whatever you need, let me know.”

Rarity’s face softened. “Ohhh… I don’t know what to say…”

“Say what you need. We’re here for you.” Boltsinger, Twilight, and Spike all walked over to Rarity.

“All right, then.” Rarity began. “For some reason, I can’t get any ideas on what to do for your outfit past what we purchased in the Crystal Empire. But I’m sure you figured out that much.”

Twilight chimed in. “Why is it so difficult?”

“You see, that’s what has me so… well... frazzled.” the Unicorn started. “Every mare I’ve ever designed an outfit for has given me such inspiration that the design comes easily!”

“Umm… Let me stop you right there.” Boltsinger said, placing a wing on Rarity’s shoulder. “Think about what you just said.”

Rarity paused. “What? You mean about how each mare--”

“That.” the stallion stated. “Right there. Every ‘mare’ you’ve designed for. Think about that. What is different in my case?”

Rarity puzzled for a few moments, looking between Twilight and Boltsinger. “Why… You’re a stallion! I’ve never designed anything for a stallion before! At least not for a formal event like this.”

“Hey! She’s designed outfits for me, and I’m a guy!” Spike interjected.

Rarity looked fondly at Spike. “Oh, Spikey-wikey, it’s different with you!” She pressed a hoof against Spike’s cheek. “You’re just so adorable! And, you’re a dragon.”

“She’s got you there, Spike.” Twilight added.

“Yeah, I suppose…” Spike replied as the ponies laughed.

“Anyway. Yes, I’m a stallion.” Boltsinger continued. “But I’ve heard from Twilight and everypony else how you approach design. I’ve seen the results for myself, both in here, and at your Manehattan boutique.”

“Oh my! You were there during your trip?” Rarity queried.

“Rainbow Dash wanted to see how it was going.” the Pegasus dismissed. “Anyway. Think about it this way. Do what you’ve done for everypony else, and there shouldn’t be an issue.”

“I can see what you’re getting at.” Rarity stated. “What I typically do is base the outfit on what I know about the pony I’m designing for, and I use that to make something fabulous!”

“Good! So what’s different about Boltsinger?” Twilight asked.

“I don’t know… I just can’t come up with any ideas that would make him seem ‘fabulous’.” the fashionista explained.

“Then think about the words you’re using again.” Boltsinger instructed, walking past Rarity and looking at all of the fully dressed mannequins. “If you can’t do something ‘fabulous’, then try some other descriptive word. Try and fit the word you use to the pony you’re designing for!” He looked back at Rarity, all four hooves placed firmly on the floor, with his tail twitching just enough to have it raise up and coil, accentuating his Cutie Mark as he spread his wings.

“My… That was certainly... suave...” Rarity said, looking at the pose her friend had unwittingly struck, a spark appearing in her eyes. “THAT’S IT!!!” Her face lit up as she ran upstairs, floating several materials in the corner of the room with her as she went. Spike quickly followed suit.

Boltsinger nudged Twilight on the side, smirking. “Not bad for somepony who has no idea about fashion, huh?”

Twilight looked at the stallion, confused. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that this…” Boltsinger pointed a hoof at his pendant. “Is the closest thing to ‘clothes’ I’ve ever worn. There was never an occasion that needed it when I was a colt, and once I got my Cutie Mark, I was never in one place long enough to need it anymore.”

Twilight’s jaw dropped. “Wow… Well, Rarity is the best choice for the first pony to…” she laughed to herself. “‘dress’ you!” Boltsinger joined in the laughter as the two ponies got up to join their friends upstairs.

Discord's Day Out

Another Tuesday, another invitation to Fluttershy’s for tea with her and Discord. Boltsinger had refrained from coming for a couple weeks, as he didn’t want to intrude on her time with Discord, but this week felt different. It was time to get to know Discord a little better, and the best way to do so was to go where he knew he would be.

As the orange pony knocked on the door, hoofsteps were heard, Fluttershy opening the door swiftly.

“Oh, hello, Boltsinger. I’m glad you could make it today.” She said, stepping aside for him to come in.

“Good to be here.” He replied, trotting into the living room. Discord was sitting on the couch in his normal form, rather than disguised as anything like last time. “Discord.” He nodded in the Draconequus’ direction.

Discord looked over indifferently. “Oh, we have a guest?” He said, casually sipping tea. “Oh, hello, Cloud...something.” He looked at his bird talon, as if checking their sharpness.

“It’s Boltsinger.” he corrected.

“Oh, yes, that. Here to deliver a message of some kind and be on your way?” Discord wondered.

“No, Discord. He’s here for tea.” Fluttershy corrected. “I invited him over.”

“Oh…” Discord responded. “Wonderful…” He slumped into the sofa, literally melting into the crevices between the cushions.

Boltsinger chuckled and pulled up a chair, reaching for a teacup. Fluttershy proceeded to serve her guest, and they conversed about various topics. Occasionally, Discord would materialize and chime in, but the moment Boltsinger would turn to speak to him, he’d scoff and ignore him.

An hour into their visit, Boltsinger’s pendant lit up. “Well, that’s new... “ He noted. His wings began to tense up, sparks coming out of them while his Cutie Mark crackled. “Oh… Um… I need to go!”

Discord appeared behind him. “Oh? Leaving so soon?” He began pushing him to the door as his electricity shot out. “Goodbye! Arrivederci! So long and thanks for all the oats!”

Boltsinger’s forelegs bent as his wings prepared to take flight. Discord grabbed each electrified wing with his claws, moving them in an attempt to imitate a flapping motion.

“Come on, then! Hurry up and FLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYyyyyyy!” Boltsinger took off in the last word, Discord still holding onto his wings.

Boltsinger looked back after taking flight, where he saw Discord waving in the wind behind him like a flag, holding onto his wings with the discharge seeming to cling his claws into place. “Discord?! How are you here?”

“I don’t know!” he told him, dumbfounded. “I just can’t let go for some reason!” He struggled his way up to put his head closer to the stallion’s. “What does this mean?!”

“It means you’re in for a long ride…” Boltsinger explained. “I’m not gonna stop flying until I hit my destination.”

Discord relaxed his arms, falling back while still clutched onto Boltsinger’s wings. He closed his eyes, creating a bright white flash that did… nothing.

“Well, that’s odd…” Discord noted. “Normally when that happens, I disappear and go wherever I’m thinking of… What’s going on here?” He looked at his claws, still tightly gripping the rapidly flapping wings. He extended his eyeballs to get a closer look, noticing that there was an electrical current running through them. He groaned, settling into the situation as an apple flew back and hit him in the face.

“Food for the trip.” Boltsinger stated, closing his eyes as he put his bag back into his mane.

Two days later, in the bustling metropolis of Fillydelphia, a crowd was gathering around a neighborhood comedy club. A lanky Earth Pony stallion with a white coat with a two-tone messy green mane and tail stood in front. His Cutie Mark featured numerous “HA”s in a single word bubble. He wore a bright purple jacket and held a microphone close with a foreleg, the crowd laughing hysterically.

“And now, The last comedian of the night… “ Another pony came from backstage, whispering into his ear. “What do you mean he isn’t here? What about the pony pox?”

CRASH! The ground rumbled with a loud noise in the back of the building. The electrical equipment surged for a second, and the crowd gasped.

“Ummm… Give me just a moment, everypony! I’m going to see what that was!” The white stallion ran, full bore, to the scene of the crash, where an orange Pegasus and a strange creature that was an amalgamation of all sorts of other creatures were laying in an extremely embarrassing position. “What in Celestia’s name is going on here?! What are you two doing backstage?!”

Discord raised his head, looking around the room. “We’ve landed? Finally! How long has it been?!” He raised his claws, seeing them no longer stuck to Boltsinger’s wings. “YYYYYES!!!” He snapped his claws, vanishing in his usual white flash. As quickly as he vanished, electricity formed in the air, forcing Discord to appear again, looking surprised. “Oh this is just getting old!!!”

Boltsinger opened his eyes, climbing to his hooves and looking around. “Backstage somewhere, huh?” He began as Discord grabbed him by the wings with his magic, floating him up into the air in front of him.

“What have you done?! Why can’t I get back to Fluttershy?!” Discord pulled the Pegasus in close, his face fraught with anger. To his surprise, Boltsinger looked unfazed by the display of power, and looked him in the eye with less expression than Pinkie Pie's sister.

“Well, you flew here with me and you can’t get away. That probably means that I’m gonna need your help in whatever it is we have to do here.” He told him. “Until we’re done with whatever it is, you’re stuck with me.”

Discord opened his mouth, but coughed. He let go of Boltsinger, clutching his throat, then coughed louder, causing a slew of fruit bats to fly out. “All right! All right! Fine!!!” He straightened his posture. “What do we have to do?!”

Boltsinger landed quickly. “I dunno yet. I’ve only talked to you since we landed.”

The green-maned pony looked at the two, his mouth agape. “Are… you two here to help, or something?”

Boltsinger turned to the Earth Pony. “I guess so. Do you need help with sound, some kind of microphone or megaphone, or someone to do a kind of performance?”

The stallion nodded profusely and ran up to the Pegasus. “YES! I need somepony to fill in for a comedian that couldn’t make it! How funny are you guys?”

“Funny?” Discord repeated. His face lit up like a foal on Hearth's Warming. “You want funny? I can do funny!”

The Earth Pony perked up immediately. “Great! The name is Guffle! I’ll introduce you two to the crowd. You got an act?”

“Give us a few minutes.” Boltsinger said. He put a hoof around Discord as the two whispered back and forth.

Several minutes later, Guffle appeared back onstage. “All right, folks, The last comedian of the night wasn’t able to make it. But we got a replacement! It’s a reeeeeeal treat! You’ll be yukkin’ so much your tails’ll fall off! Here they are… The Electriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiic MAAAAAAAAYHEEEEEEEEEEEEM!!!” Guffle raised a hoof, backing off the stage as Boltsinger came on, tapping the mic.

“So, is this thing on?” He asked, looking out at the crowd. “So, I just flew in from Ponyville, and this is where you would expect me to say ‘boy are my wings tired!’ Right?” The crowd looked at one another, then back at the stage, many of them shrugging. “Well, you’d be wrong! But, I did get a pret~ty bad headache when I landed!” The crowd looked relatively unamused. Boltsinger looked around. He used a wing to give his pendant a little tug. “Yeesh… Tough crowd…” He grasped the mic with a wing, holding it to his muzzle as he walked. “So, I’ve got this friend. He goes by the name ‘Discord’. He thinks he’s the most hisssssss-terical being in all of reality!” Boltsinger walked to the edge of the stage. “He’d probably take that as some kind of cue to try to slither on stage…” From behind Boltsinger, something slithered onto the stage. “And then he’d take up a position behind… me…” He gestured behind himself with his free wing, pointing at Discord, who was coiled up behind him without his limbs. “He’s right behind me, isn’t he?” He said with a completely straight face. Discord was reared up, looking like he was going to bite, but slumped over.

“Oh, you’re no fun, Bolt!” Discord returned to normal, holding a mic of his own. The crowd went into hysterics. Boltsinger and Discord looked each other in the eye, smirking as they turned their attention to the crowd.

Half an hour later, at the Castle of Friendship, Fluttershy and Twilight were looking at the map, where Boltsinger’s Cutie Mark was hovering over Fillydelphia. It flickered off and on. Twilight and Fluttershy looked at it intently, concern evident in their faces. As the mark disappeared, Fluttershy let out a high-pitched scream.

Fluttershy fell to the floor, tears welling up in her eyes while Twilight comforted her friend, looking at the map in shock. She raised a hoof to the map, getting ready to cry out, herself… Then…

POOF.

In a white flash, Boltsinger and Discord appeared in the center of the room, laughing their rumps off.

“And then I said ‘Orange you glad I’ve changed?!’” Discord told the stallion, still in hysterics. “It was a little strange when they started their own little inside jokes, but every time I think back on it, it’s just too funny!” He wiped a tear away from his eye, finally calming down. “Oh, hello, ladies!”

Boltsinger calmed himself, looking around the room. “Huh? When did we get back to the castle?” He looked at Twilight, whose hoof was still extended with tears welling up in her eyes. Fluttershy was lifting her head from Twilight’s shoulder, looking at the two that had just appeared. “Are you girls all right? You look like you just saw a ghost!”

Twilight’s face went from concern and shock to completely stern as she turned her attention towards Discord. “DISCORD!” She shouted, her voice blowing Discord’s face to the back of his head. She scowled and flew over him, looking him in the relaxed upside-down face from the same perspective. “What happened?! I know that Boltsinger had one of his flights, but why did his Cutie Mark disappear from the map?!”

Discord twirled his claw as his face returned to normal, walking over to the Princess’ throne and plopping down onto it. “Oh, Twilight, isn’t it obvious?” He pointed to Boltsinger. “It’s because he’s here.”

Boltsinger stepped off of the map, walking over to Fluttershy. “So, Fluttershy, you know how when I last ‘took off’, Discord was holding onto my wings?” Fluttershy nodded, wiping her nose. “Well, he pretty much went with me on the whole ride. He was even a part of the thing I was basically brought there to do.” He turned to Twilight. “And, if it makes you feel any better, doing comedy together really helped our friendship!

Twilight pointed at Discord, and then Boltsinger, not believing a word of it. “You two… did comedy together?”

“Oh, yes!” Discord affirmed. “It was quite enjoyable! We performed a two-man comedy act! Bolt here was the straight-man to my joker! Why, his delivery was so spot-on that the whole act just…” He snapped his claws, causing some kind of cursor to appear in the air and clicking on Boltsinger. “Clicked!” Boltsinger was lifted into the air by the cursor, laughing alongside Discord.

Twilight looked at the two, her mouth hanging open as she lowered herself to the floor, placing her rump down. Fluttershy wiped her tears away completely, laughing and flying next to Discord. Boltsinger flew over to Twilight and sat next to her, pushing her mouth closed with her hoof. She looked at the stallion and smiled as Discord lifted him up again with the magical cursor, everypony in the room beginning to laugh as hard as any audience.

Quality Time

Under the afternoon sun, Boltsinger made his way through the castle halls. Now that his training with Rainbow Dash for the day was over, he knew exactly what he wanted to do. His plan today: spend some quality time with Twilight. It had been some time since the two of them had gotten together and just done something. He smiled confidently. This was going to be the day that changed.

He made his way to the library, taking a peek in the door to see a large stack of books piled on the table. He pushed the door open the rest of the way, slowly walking over to the chair where a book was floating with a telltale magenta magical field around it. He stopped in his tracks. Should I really disturb her while she’s reading? He thought. I mean, she does all sorts of research, and I would hate to get her held up… Maybe I should just--

“Spike? Is that you?” She asked, not looking up from her book. “I thought you were going to be with Big Mac talking about sports today!” Boltsinger opened his mouth and raised a hoof. “Well, since you’re here, can you fetch me a copy of ‘Cutie Mark Conundrums - Flailing and Flabbergasting Flanks’?”

Boltsinger shut his mouth and flew up to the shelves, searching for the book. After several seconds, he found it. He quickly brought it to the Alicorn’s side and held it out with a wing. She floated the book over to herself and began searching through it.

“Thanks, Spike. So, how did your visit with Big Mac go?” She asked, eyes still glued to the pages.

“Um… He’s still with Big Mac.” Boltsinger told her. Twilight looked up from her book, turning her head to get a look at the one that handed her the volume. Boltsinger stood, quietly, scratching his mane with his wing and smiling weakly. “Hi.”

“Oh!” Twilight began, seeing the pony before her. “I’m sorry. I thought you were Spike!” She placed bookmarks in the volumes she was working with, setting them on the table. “How was your training?”

“It was good. Rainbow Dash says my speed has really improved. I’m still nowhere near as fast as her, though.” He answered. “Um… how is your research going?”

“I’m a little stuck.” She admitted, hanging her head. “I’ve learned quite a lot on the subject, but a phenomenon like yours has never been documented! The book you handed me was the last one on the topic that I hadn’t read yet. If there’s nothing there, then… Oh my gosh…”

“What?” Boltsinger asked, stepping forward.

“If there’s nothing in that book about the phenomenon with your Cutie Mark... “ Twilight’s face lit up as she looked the stallion in the eyes. “That means that we’re the ones that made the discovery!!!” She put her hooves on Boltsinger’s shoulders. “Do you know what that means?!”

“Let’s see... “ Boltsinger brought a wing to his chin, the gears turning in his head. “If there’s no documentation of something… And we discover it… Oh!” His ears perked up as he looked into the Princess’ eyes. “It means--”

“It means we get to write the book on the subject!” Twilight let out an excited squee, jumping up and flapping her wings for a very brief hover. “This is so exciting!” She let go of the stallion, rushing back to her chair and picking up the new book.

Boltsinger looked at the excited Alicorn, surprised. “Well, I guess I’ll let you do your read--”

“Done!” Twilight closed the book and placed it, hard, on the table. She activated her magic, picking up every single unshelved book in the library and floating them to their proper places. In a matter of seconds, the room was clear, and the books were sorted.

Boltsinger’s jaw dropped at the display. “You read that whole book?” Twilight nodded, walking proudly over to him. “In half a second?” Twilight nodded again. “And… that magic… It’s all sorted?”

“Yup!” she confirmed, walking towards the door. “And I have good news!” Boltsinger followed her as she went out into the hallway. “I~ didn’t find anything!!!”

“So you get to write the book, right?” Boltsinger guessed. Twilight nodded, smiling wide and letting out an excited laugh. After a few seconds, she jumped into the air, fluttering her legs in a manner reminiscent of Pinkie Pie, taking off down the hallway. “Hey, Twilight! Wait up!” Boltsinger cried out, galloping after her.

Later, in the throne room, Twilight’s friends all sat in their respective thrones, at the request of the Princess. The door opened, Twilight happily trotting in with Boltsinger in tow.

“I’m glad you’ve all come!” She greeted, taking a seat on her throne. “I bet you’re all wondering why I’ve asked you all here.”

“Yes, I’m afraid you were rather... vague in your message, dear.” Rarity replied.

“Is there some kind of problem?” Fluttershy inquired. “It was pretty sudden for you to call us.”

Twilight smiled. “Nope! I actually have some great news!”

Pinkie gasped, jumping up from her throne at the same time. She sped over to Twilight, asking her directly to her face. “Is Princess Celestia throwing a pancake breakfast?” She put her forelegs over Twilight’s shoulders, getting closer. “Are the Griffons hosting an Equestria-wide friendship party?” She brought her face mere inches away from Twilight’s muzzle, her pupils shrunken and her ears low. “Are the Equestria Games coming to Ponyville?!”

Twilight laughed and pushed Pinkie back with a hoof. “No, Pinkie. It’s my discovery!” She raised her forelegs, beaming.

“What kinda discovery is it?” Applejack asked, leaning forward.

“Yeah, don’t keep us in suspense!” Rainbow Dash added, slamming her hooves on the map table.

“That’s the best part!” the Princess continued. “I didn’t discover anything!!!” She reared up, kicking the air in front of her with her forelegs as Boltsinger stifled a laugh. The mares in their thrones all looked at their lilac-coated friend. Seeing the looks on their friends’ faces, Twilight and Boltsinger laughed out loud..

“What she means is that there wasn’t any pre-existing information on that thing my Cutie Mark does.” Boltsinger explained. “Which means…”

“Which means we get to write the book on the whole phenomenon!” Twilight announced. “We get to investigate it and write down our findings in a real official DOCUMENTATION!”

The other ponies all looked at their friend in both awe and confusion.

“Why that’s fantastic news!” Rarity started, eyes wide. She thought for a second, putting a hoof up to her face. “I… think.”

“Uh… What exactly does it mean?” Applejack wondered aloud. “D’ya mean that yer gonna be the one doin’ the research?”

“Yup!” Twilight said, puffing out her chest in pride. “I’ll be paying close attention to Boltsinger’s Cutie Mark so that anytime something new happens, we can learn about it and document it and further the study of Cutie Mark magic!” Rainbow Dash snorted, trying to suppress a laugh.

“Uh... Dash? What’s so funny?” Applejack asked. Rainbow Dash trotted over to her, whispering something in her ear behind a raised wing. Applejack’s mouth made a kind of “O” face as she looked at Twilight, Rainbow Dash snickering. Finally, Applejack and Rainbow Dash burst into hysterics, the mares putting their hooves over their stomachs while falling happily to the floor.

“I don’t understand…” Fluttershy commented. “What’s so funny?”

Applejack wiped a tear from her eye, settling down and looking over at her kind companion. “Don’t you worry about it. I’ll explain it to ya later.”

“Oh… Well, okay.” Fluttershy nodded.

“Well, darling, while I may not understand what all of this means, it’s certainly cause for celebration!” She ran up to Twilight and put her hoof around her, pointing out the open door. “Everypony, to the spa!!!”

Twilight’s best friends all trotted to the foyer, heading for the door. Twilight was about to follow suit as she noticed the orange pony, who was sitting on the floor, watching the ladies leave.

“Hey, you wanna come along?” She asked, offering a hoof. “I know it seems kinda ‘girly’, but you never know! You might enjoy some of the things they have there!”

Boltsinger took her hoof, getting up. “Um… Actually, Twilight, I’ve been wanting to ask you something…” He kept his hoof on hers, looking at the floor with some noticeable red popping up on his cheeks. “I’ve been doing a lot of stuff with a lot of ponies for a little while, now, and… I realized I haven’t spent any kind of ‘quality time’ with you lately… Not since the night I arrived.” He slapped his face with his wings, the red going away as he looked her in the eye. “Do you want to do… something… with me, sometime soon? I know it’s a lot to ask, especially since you’re a Princess and all, but I really…” he averted his gaze once more. “Really wanna spend some time with you… Besides just the usual stuff we do around here.”

Twilight’s cheeks began to turn their own shade of red. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her face quickly returning to normal. “I would love that! After I get back, I’ll get straight to work on a schedule for a full day of things for us to do together!” She leaned in towards the stallion. “How does that sound?”

Boltsinger laughed sheepishly. “Sounds perfect.” He put his hoof back down on the floor, starting to walk. “I hope you have a great time with the girls. I’m gonna sit this one out… Every time a pony tries to brush my mane or my tail, it breaks their hair brushes. Plus, I wouldn’t know what to do if I went in there. Maybe another time, okay?”

Twilight nodded, trotting past Boltsinger. “All right, then. I’ll see you later!”

Boltsinger sat in the foyer as the Princess left, waving a wing and a hoof softly together. “Yep… later…” He looked at the floor and pawed at the reflection he saw there. “Later…”

The next morning, Twilight was cantering through the hall towards Boltsinger’s room, floating a long piece of parchment with her as she made her way. She skidded to a stop in front of the door to Boltsinger’s room. With a smile on her face, she burst through the door.

“Rise and shine!” Twilight called out.

Boltsinger shot out of bed and into the ceiling, landing rather ungracefully on the floor. He raised his head quickly. “I’M SORRY!!!” He shouted, looking around frantically. His eyes fell on Twilight, the hyperventilating ceasing.

“Are you ready for a full day of fun?” the Alicorn asked. “I’ve got a full schedule of things to do!” She floated the parchment in front of him, showing a remarkably detailed schedule. Even events like ‘waking up Boltsinger’ and ‘breakfast’ were factored into timeframes.

Boltsinger looked at the schedule, trying to see what the plan was as Twilight pulled it away. She rolled it up and tucked it under her wing. “You’ve really got it all set up, huh?” He stood up, putting his blanket back on his bed. “So, what’s on the agenda?”

“That’s a surprise! Come on!” She pulled him along with her magic. “Spike is making pancakes for everyone!”

Boltsinger chuckled and started moving his legs, trotting as Twilight let him go. The Princess fell back to trot beside her friend, taking a look at the pendant he wore. “I noticed you didn’t take any time at all to put that on. How’d you do it so fast?” She asked.

“Oh, I never take it off.” Boltsinger explained. “Not unless I’m bathing or something along those lines.”

Twilight tilted her head. “Never? Why is that?”

Boltsinger looked down at the topaz-decorated lightning bolt. “Well… It’s too important to me.” He used a wing to hold it up slightly. “Not just for the thing it does. But because of the friends that made it for me.” He looked at Twilight. “You and Rarity worked extremely hard on it. I didn’t even expect either of you to notice me, but you went so far as to give me something this special… Such a precious thing will never leave me.”

Twilight looked at the stallion with soft eyes. “That’s really how you see it?” She inquired. Boltsinger simply nodded. Tears began to form in Twilight’s eyes as she rushed into a hug. “That is so sweet… It makes me so happy to know how much it means to you!” She broke the embrace, the two continuing on.

“It’s not just you and Rarity, either.” Boltsinger added. “Fluttershy helped me warm up to the idea of talking with all of you. We had some common ground that I think I needed right away. Pinkie did everything in her power to bring a smile out of me, and she’s super fun to hang out with. Rainbow Dash… Well… I’m actually a decent flyer now, because of her training regimen. I’m not great, but I’m able to actually follow her in the air, now!”

“What about Applejack?” Twilight asked.

“She gave me a job.” he told her. “I only have bits to spend because they hire me on for odd jobs at Sweet Apple Acres.” He pulled a wallet out of his mane, showing it to be full of bits. “I’m particularly good at calling the pigs and chickens.” He smiled and put his wallet away.

After breakfast, Twilight floated all of the dishes into the kitchen, putting a wing around the Pegasus and starting toward the foyer.

“All right, let’s go!” she exclaimed, spreading her free wing as they trotted on.

Spike ran to the door as they exited, waving. “See you later! Have fun on your date!” Twilight and Boltsinger stopped for a second, looking back at the baby dragon, then at one another with a nervous laugh before continuing.

The door to the weather factory in Cloudsdale opened wide, Twilight and Boltsinger walking out. The two were laughing and conversing as they went.

“I can’t believe you’ve never toured the weather factory!” Twilight said, looking at her companion. “I thought all Pegasus had been there!”

“Well, I wasn’t born in Cloudsdale. I was born in Vanhoover, and I didn’t really spend much extended time anywhere else after I got my Cutie Mark.” the stallion explained. “The only reason I’ve even been to Cloudsdale is because somepony needed me to take over announcement duty for the flight school once. So... “ He spread his wings for emphasis.

“Well, our next destination is a ways away… We should be able to make good time if we fly straight there.” She pointed to Canterlot on a map of Equestria. “So, you ready?” She spread her wings, putting the map away and raising a foreleg.

Boltsinger smirked, keeping his wings spread as he ducked low. “I’ll race you to Canterlot!” He said, seeing the Princess take a similar stance. “THREETWOONEGO!”

The two of them took off at their full speed, leaving flight trails behind them as they flew. Boltsinger’s training with Rainbow Dash was evident, as the higher speed wasn’t an issue for him. He looked behind him, seeing Twilight catching up. He flapped faster as she gained, widening the gap between them. Twilight looked at the orange Pegasus, smirking. Her horn lit up as she picked up speed, gaining on him as they neared their destination. Boltsinger looked back one more time. Twilight’s face went from determined to worried as she reached a foreleg forward. Boltsinger tilted his head, not quite understanding her concern as he felt a sudden impact, stopping him cold with a loud crash. He fell to the ground below, rather unceremoniously. Twilight swooped down and lit up her horn, her magic slowing her friend’s descent.

As she landed, she ran up to where he was floating down, a familiar dark blue Alicorn joining them.

“Boltsinger…” Princess Luna began. “We absolutely must stop meeting like this.” She walked next to Twilight as the Pegasus sat up. “I pray you are uninjured?”

Bolsinger looked over at the night Princess, blushing faintly and scratching his mane. “I’m okay. Just a little stunned.” He got up and brushed himself off. “I wasn’t flying fast enough to pass out this time, at least. Um… how have you been, Princess Luna?”

Princess Luna let out a sigh, smiling as she walked over to the stallion. “Things have been as they always are.” She said. “I am happy to see that you are not so jumpy anymore.”

“Well... “ he snorted a bit, pointing a wing over at Twilight. “You have her to thank for that…”

Twilight laughed. “Well, it’s not just because of me! We all played a part!”

“She’s right about that.” Boltsinger confirmed. He turned to Twilight. “So, are we here to… um… visit the Royal Sisters, or something?”

Twilight shook her head. “No, this was just a happy accident.” She trotted over to Boltsinger, looking at the other Alicorn. “It’s been wonderful to see you, Luna, but we need to keep going. Got a schedule to keep, after all!” She put her magic around her stallion friend again, pulling him along as they went to their next destination. Luna waved her foreleg, taking flight to return to the castle.

Boltsinger looked at Twilight. She was trotting along excitedly, heading towards Restaurant Row. “Are you alright? You seem… Well, I don’t know what you seem like. It just seems a bit weird.”

“Oh, it’s nothing!” Twilight told him, turning to look at him. “I just wasn’t expecting to see Princess Luna, and I really want to get to the next place so that we can eat! You understand, right?”

The Pegasus chuckled, “Okay. Well, lead the way.” He looked at the ground, which was now several feet below him as the Princess pulled him along. “I can’t really move, anyway.”

The two of them sat at the Tasty Treat, enjoying some spicy soup. Boltsinger looked at his friend, then back at his soup, wondering how to phrase his next question.

“Um… Twilight, I have a bit of a… request.” He finally said.

“Oh? What kind of request?” She wondered aloud, looking at him with soup on her mouth.

“So, before I get around to my request, I have a teensey confession to make.” He finished his soup with one gulp, then slapped his face with his wings. “So, you remember how I said I was never able to stay in one place for very long once I got my Cutie Mark?”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah, you said it made it hard for you to make friends for a really long time.”

“Yep. But there’s more to it than that.” Boltsinger continued. “I was still a pretty young colt when that happened. I was in school at the time, and I had just enough education in me to know that I liked to read and do what I got my Cutie Mark for. From there, I never really… got a formal education. I just learned everything I knew about society and some really, really basic knowledge from books. Part of the reason I like libraries so much.” He blushed and looked at his empty bowl. “It wasn’t intentional, but… I became a bit of a dropout.”

Twilight dropped both her jaw and her bowl, the soup falling perfectly into it. “What?! That’s awful!”

“Yeah, it wasn’t easy.” He confirmed. “But now, I seem to have a better handle on it all. And… You’re easily the most studious pony I’ve ever met, and I know Sunburst! And… well… I don’t want to just go to the school house. I don’t have any problems with Miss Cheerilee’s teaching skills, but… I don’t really want to be in a course with foals. Not to belittle the foals, or anything. I just don’t want anypony getting weird ideas. And… well… That brings me to my request... “

Twilight’s face lit up. “Yes?”

“Well… I was hoping…” Boltsinger raised a hoof to his muzzle.

“Yes?!” Twilight brought her forelegs up with excitement.

“Could you maybe… be my tutor?” He asked, giving a nervous smile.

“YYYYYYYYES!” She shouted, fluttering in the air. “YESYESYESYESYES!!!” She landed next to him. “I would love to be your tutor!” She started eating her soup again, talking at length about a schedule and all of the options for teaching him everything she could.

Well, this is definitely going to get interesting… Boltsinger mused, resting his head on his hoof as he listened to the Princess in his company.

Author's Note

Sorry if the outing wasn't all that entertaining. I didn't quite have many details in mind when I initially wrote it. The big things I had in mind were that he finally went out and did something with Twilight, and that he made the tutoring request. Plus Twilight's enthusiasm for getting to write a book on an entirely new branch of research.

The Beautician's Guarantee

Rarity and Twilight stood in the inspiration room of the Carousel Boutique, looking sternly into each other’s eyes, a slew of items all around them. Twilight floated a quill and parchment in front of her as the stare broke.

“Hair brushes?” Twilight said, readying her quill.

“Check!” Rarity replied, floating a large box of hair brushes to her side. Twilight made a checkmark in one of the boxes on the parchment.

“Shampoo?”

“Check!” Rarity repeated, floating over several dozen bottles of the product.

Twilight checked another box. “Conditioner?”

“Present~!” She floated several more bottles nearby as Twilight put a little bow on top of one of the boxes.

“Extra hair brushes?” Twilight asked, her quill nearly touching the page.

“Double check!” Rarity confirmed, putting three more boxes of hair brushes forward.

“Stallion?” Twilight said, her eyes looking fierce.

“Right here!” Rarity told her, floating an unsuspecting Boltsinger into the room with her magic.

“Okay, that’s everything!” Twilight exclaimed, creating twin checks in the last box. “You’re ready!”

“Operation ‘Beautify the Bolt’ is a go!” Rarity announced, striking a stylish pose

Boltsinger looked between the two mares, mouth agape. “Wait… WHAT?!”

After what felt like some kind of introduction, Boltsinger sat in Rarity’s inspiration room, Twilight and Rarity looking at him with determined faces. Twilight perked up first, rolling up her parchment and putting it away in her saddlebag.

“Well, Rarity, I believe you can handle it from here.” Twilight started, turning to leave. “I’ve got to get to Canterlot to help with the Gala!”

Boltsinger reached a hoof over towards Twilight. “Wait! I don’t understand! What’s going on here?!”

Twilight walked out the door as Rarity trotted up to the stallion, closing the door behind the Princess.

“The Gala is tomorrow, darling, and my final task before it begins is that!” Rarity announced, pointing at the wind-blown blue messes that came from Boltsinger’s head and rump. The Pegasus grabbed his tail with his forelegs, holding it close as he lowered his head. Rarity floated a number of hair care products around her as she slowly closed the distance between them.

Boltsinger jumped to his hooves, scrambling for the door in a panic. “WHAT’S GOING ON?!” He screamed. Rarity proceeded to pull him back with her magic, immediately pulling a brush through his hair. His face tensed up immensely as the brush pulled at the large number of knots in his mane, yanking everywhere all at once. “Rarity, what are you doing?!”

“Boltsinger, I thought it was obvious!” She started. “I’m going to fix your mane! That tail of yours could use some work as well!”

Boltsinger stopped his mad dash for the door, looked at Rarity, and sighed. “I hope you’re prepared. Every time somepony has…” He winced in pain as the brush made its way through his mane again, then got a good look at the room. “Wait… You seem to be prepared. All right, let’s get this over with, then.” He walked over to Rarity and placed his rump firmly on the floor, lowering his head.

“So, Bolt, have you ever brushed your mane before?” Rarity queried as the first hair brush snapped in half. “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen hair with so many knots before!”

“Flying at a speed that outclasses the Wonderbolts for days on end tends to do that.” the stallion explained. “I mostly just did what I was set to do, then I went to the library or took off again. I never got the chance to take care of my hair.” He tensed up as another hair brush met his mane. “I’ve never really seen it as too much of a priority over the years.”

Another hair brush snapped in his mane as Rarity gasped. “But… But you have to take care of your mane! If you don’t, it gets horrible things to happen! It turns all oily, and the ends never stop splitting! And… and... “ She fell over, magically sliding a couch over to her position to catch herself with a foreleg melodramatically raised to her face. “How have you gotten by after all this time?!” She sat up, taking another brush and lifting the Pegasus onto the couch with her. “Well, I won’t let this travesty continue! Your mane will be a work of art by the time I’m finished!”

Rarity floated several more products above him, creating a veritable cloud of detangler and other hair sprays, pieces of hair brushes flying out in multiple directions. As the cloud dissipated, Boltsinger was limp on the couch, the hair that made up his mane and tail poofing out in all directions before falling limp. It was quite a bit longer than it normally looked, with what was once erratic electric blue patterns turning into full-on streaks, causing a two-tone pattern. Boltsinger breathed heavily as Rarity blew the cloud away with a fan.

Boltsinger groaned. “Are we done?” He asked, looking at the Unicorn. She grinned as her magic lifted the Pegasus up again.

“That was just step one!” She trotted through the boutique, placing him in a salon chair. “From here, it only gets easier.”

After a rigorous wash and even more broken hair brushes being strewn throughout the room, Rarity finally stopped. She floated a slew of pictures that featured several styles for a stallion’s mane and tail.

“Um… I don’t know…” He pushed the book away. “My only request is that you don’t cut it short. I like having a long tail, it’s useful.”

Rarity nodded, putting the book down. “Very well, then! Keep it long, but make it beautiful!” She pulled out a pair of scissors and began her work.

“So, why does my mane need to be done for the Gala?” Boltsinger asked, fully settling into his situation. “I mean, yes, I’m going. But do I really need to look that fancy?”

Rarity laughed as she worked. “Oh, darling, you simply must look your best!” She ran a brush through his mane. “It’s the biggest night of the year! Everypony who is anypony will be there!”

“Everypony? But I thought it was just to commemorate the construction of Canterlot.” Boltsinger asked.

“Well, that’s how it started, yes. But it quickly grew to something much more!” Rarity explained. “It’s the most important formal gathering in all of Equestria now, and anypony that gets invited is bound to have at least some level of influence.”

“So, of course, you ladies get invited every year.” the stallion added. “I’ve seen the stained glass in the castle.”

Rarity giggled to herself. “Looking at the one of Twilight’s coronation?”

Boltsinger’s face flushed. “No… I looked at all of them! Twilight gave me a tour of her favorite places in Canterlot.”

“Aaaaah. So you were too busy looking at her to look at the windows.” she teased. “Is that right?”

Boltsinger tried to shake his head, but Rarity held him in place with her hooves. “No! I looked at everything around me.”

“Mm-hm…” she continued, moving to his tail to work on that. “You know it’s obvious, right?” Boltsinger looked at her, his eyebrow cocked in wonder. “You know what I mean. It’s obvious that you have a crush!”

“What do you mean? I don’t have a crush, or anything!” His entire head turned bright red. “It’s just like I told Shining Armor, she’s an important friend, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

“Oh, please.” Rarity rolled her eyes. “You’re practically butter in her hooves! If it was any more obvious, Pinkie would have caught on by now!”

“Oh? Who else has this idea in their head?” Boltsinger asked her, lifting his head to look at the mare.

“Applejack, of course.” Rarity confirmed. “She and I were the ones that convinced Twilight to ask you to the Gala in the first place!” Boltsinger’s raised his eyebrows. “I think Rainbow Dash figured it out recently as well.”

Boltsinger leaned his head back again, letting out a deep sigh. “Okay, fine. You can think what you want. Just promise me you won’t tell anypony about even the idea that I might have a crush on her.”

“I promise.” the fashionista said.

“Pinkie Promise?”

Rarity looked surprised. She took a deep breath and made a crossing motion over her chest with a hoof, raising that hoof to her eye. “You have more than that, dear. As a pony devoted to beautifying others, I’ve heard the grievances of every pony I’ve worked on! I pride myself in absolute confidentiality!”

“Really?” He leaned forward, resting his forelegs on his hind legs. “Absolute confidentiality?”

“You have my beautician’s guarantee!” she confirmed. “Have you anything else you need to vent? I’m more than willing to lend an ear.”

“Okay, fine… You’ve got me.” He leaned back into the chair again, staring at the ceiling. “I wouldn’t use the word ‘crush’ in my situation.” He pointed a hoof at Rarity. “But no matter how… right… you and Applejack may be, that doesn’t mean I want anything to change!” He huffed, crossing his forelegs as he turned his head to the side.

“So, if you wouldn’t use the word ‘crush’...” Rarity began, raising a hoof in contemplation. After a moment of thinking, her eyes opened wide and she stopped her styling for a moment. “Oh my gosh! You’re in l--”

“Don’t say it! Please!” Boltsinger rapidly sat up, covering Rarity’s mouth with his hoof. “Besides… I’m… afraid.”

Rarity moved the hoof aside. “I don’t quite understand, dear.. What are you afraid of?”

Boltsinger breathed a deep sigh. “I’m afraid of… well… relapse.” He brought his wings forward, taking a long look at them. “Have you ever looked out the window and wanted to just… fly away? Or, at least, run?”

“Darling, you’re looking at the queen of drama. I’ve wanted to run away from my problems so many times the joke has gotten old!” Rarity explained, making a dramatic gesture with her foreleg.

“Well, what if your problem was… yourself?” He continued. “What if you saw yourself as some kind of burden to everypony around you?”

“I’m afraid I can’t even imagine what that’s like.” she told him, going deeper into her work.

“I bet you’d do everything you could to get out of their manes, wouldn’t you?” He tapped on his knees, trying to occupy his legs. “And when you’ve got wings, that’s a pretty easy thing to do.” He looked at the work his friend was doing. “I can’t really go into much detail right now, but…” He plopped backward again. “My life right now is so different from how I’ve lived up until this point. I’ve never spent more than a month in one place until recently. And, yeah… In a very large part, I have her to thank for that. All of you, really.”

Rarity made one final brush on Boltsinger’s tail. “That’s very sweet of you...” She turned the chair to have him look in the mirror, where he found that his mane looked like if Shining Armor’s had gotten recolored and made to shine like the sun. He looked down at his tail, which bore the same kind of gloss to it. “But, you know, even if you did leave, Twilight wouldn’t rest until she found you again.”

Boltsinger got up from his chair, scratching his mane. “I don’t know if she would go that far…”

“Trust me. I know Twilight.” Rarity affirmed. “She would go into such a panic that she would keep going until you were right in front of her.” She walked over to Boltsinger, putting a hoof around him. “Now, you’d best get to Canterlot. Twilight already arranged for you to stay at the castle, and your outfit is waiting in your room.” She led him to the door as he spread his wings. “And we will see you tomorrow!”

Boltsinger looked at the Unicorn he’d just spent so much time with. She looked remarkably sincere, which made her look all the more fabulous.

“Pinkie promise, right?” He reminded her, starting to hover in the air above her.

“You have my word!” She made a zipping motion over her mouth with her hoof, waving as the Pegasus ascended. He took off at full speed, flying straight for Canterlot. “And don’t slam into any walls this time!”

The Best/Worst Night Ever

The morning of the Gala had arrived, and a certain stallion of interest was asleep in the bed of a guest room. He was sleeping soundly, his snores echoed through the halls, alerting a great many ponies to his presence. As he rolled over, getting more comfortable, the door swung wide open, slamming into the wall. Six mares stood in the doorway.

“SURPRISE!!!” they simultaneously exclaimed, all raising a foreleg, with three sets of wings spreading at the same time.

Boltsinger sprang up from his bed, hitting the ceiling and getting his head stuck. He kicked his hind legs rapidly, pushing against the ceiling with his wings and forelegs until his head popped out, sending him falling into the bed below.

He poked his head out from the pile of blankets surrounding him. “I’m awake! What’s going on?!” He looked over at the mares in the room.

Twilight trotted over to the bed and floated his blankets off of him. “Good morning, Boltsinger! How did you sleep?”

“Um… I slept. It was restful.” He stepped out of bed. “What’s with the huge gathering?”

Pinkie bounced over to the stallion, hopping onto the bed and putting her head next to his ear. “Well, we were gonna come in and see if you were ready to do stuff with us before the Gala, but then the door opened and you were like ‘AAAAHHHHH!’” She jumped into the air, fluttering her legs before landing in the same position. “And then you made that hole in the roof. But now you’re awake! So, you ready for a big day of fun followed by the BEST PARTY EVER?!”

“Sounds like fun!” Boltsinger smiled, trotting over to the group. They moved out into the hallway, where Starlight and Sunburst were casually walking up, chatting the morning away.

As the group headed downstairs, more ponies joined them. Apple Bloom was among them, followed by the two fillies he had seen with her around town. One was a darker orange Pegasus with a messy hot pink mane and tail and purple eyes. Her Cutie Mark had a similar shield motif to Apple Bloom’s, but her personal symbol featured a lightning bolt inside a wing. The other was a white Unicorn with a curly pink and violet mane and tail. She had green eyes, with another shield Cutie Mark featuring a musical note inside a star. An Earth Pony mare slowly walked over to Pinkie. She had a grey coat with a purple mane and tail, along with purple eye-shadow. Her face was completely blank, and she wore a blue dress with a black belt that covered her Cutie Mark. Apple Bloom noticed Boltsinger, and trotted over to him. The fillies with similar Cutie Marks followed her.

“Howdy, Bolt!” the yellow filly greeted.

“Hi, Apple Bloom!” Boltsinger replied, waving a wing. “Who are your friends?” He looked back and forth between the two fillies.

“You mean I never introduced you?” Apple Bloom asked, tilting her head. “I coulda sworn y’all had met before!”

“Nope. I’ve seen you fillies around town before, but I was generally doing other stuff.” Boltsinger explained. “I take it from your Cutie Marks that you’re really good friends?”

The Pegasus filly chimed in. “You got that right! I’m Scootaloo, and this…” she pointed a hoof at the Unicorn filly. “... is Sweetie Belle!”

“It’s nice to meet you, Boltsinger!” Sweetie Belle began, walking up and offering a hoof in greeting. “My sister, Rarity has told me all about you!”

Boltsinger laughed and shook the filly’s hoof with one of his wings. “Well, I hope she didn’t tell you too much.” He looked at Rarity, then back at Sweetie Belle. “You certainly seem just as refined as your sister. Must run in the family.”

Sweetie Belle smiled with a faint blush at the compliment. “Why, thank you, good sir.” She responded, bowing as gracefully as she could.

“Anyway, you’re right about us!” Apple Bloom continued. “‘Cause together, we are…” She and Sweetie Belle backed up, standing next to their Pegasus friend.

“THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!!!” the fillies shouted in unison, raising their heads up high.

“We’re Ponyville’s resident Cutie Mark experts!” Scootaloo started, flapping her wings in place

“Helpin’ young ponies like us get their Cutie Marks!” Apple Bloom added.

“And helping to remind ponies that have their Cutie Marks of their true purpose!” Sweetie Bell finished.

“We’ve got a pretty good track record, so far.” Scootaloo bragged.

Boltsinger looked at the fillies, their faces shining brightly as they told him of their talent. “Well, that explains your interest in mine when we first met.” He said, motioning to his own Cutie Mark with his wing.

“Yep! Applejack told me what it does!” Apple Bloom went on, taking a look under Boltsinger’s wing at his flank.

As if out of nowhere, Pinkie appeared behind them. “Hey, Bolt! Have you met my sister, Maud?” She held a hoof out, pointing at the grey mare walking up. “She’s the best ever!”

Boltsinger looked over at the mare. “You mean her?” He asked, pointing a wing at her. Pinkie nodded enthusiastically, pulling him over. He looked at the new face and tilted his head. His legs were already in a state of wanting to run away as quickly as possible, but fought past it for his friend. “Um… Hello, Maud. I’m Boltsinger!” He greeted, extending a hoof.

Maud blinked slowly, her face otherwise unchanging. After a long pause, she took a breath. “... Hi.”

The stallion smiled awkwardly, his hoof hanging in the air in front of him. He held there for a while, Maud remaining completely rigid.

“Wow! She’s so happy to meet you!” Pinkie shouted, bouncing up next to her sister. “I just knew you would be friends!”

“Um…” Boltsinger put his hoof back on the floor. “Very nice to meet you, Maud. You seem like a very… interesting pony. I look forward to getting to know you better.”

Maud blinked, waiting several seconds to respond. “... Yeah.”

Boltsinger smiled and turned to walk away. “Cool. I’m gonna go see what everypony else is up to, okay?”

After yet another steady blink, Maud turned towards Pinkie. “... Sure. Nice to meet you.”

Boltsinger waved at her with a wing as he walked towards Twilight, who was chatting with Rainbow Dash.

The group of ponies spent the morning going to various places in Canterlot, enjoying donuts at Pony Joe’s, checking up on Canterlot Carousel, and visiting various local friends. Before too long, the afternoon approached.

“So, this is my first Gala. Any advice?” Boltsinger asked, looking at Twilight and her friends.

Spike walked up next to Twilight. “Whatever you do, don’t go after some crazy dream while you’re there.” He told the stallion. “If you have weird expectations, you’ll only end up disappointed!”

Boltsinger looked at the dragon. “Speaking from experience?” He asked.

Spike nodded, pointing a claw at Twilight. “Our first Gala, those six all had ideas in their heads of what it would be like for them. I just wanted to spend the evening together with everypony, but they all messed things up.”

Twilight giggled and pulled Spike in with one of her wings. “Yes, but in the end it was one of the best nights we ever had!” The other mares all nodded and commented in confirmation.

Applejack walked over to Boltsinger. “The best advice anypony can give you is to just have fun. If you fret too much about what might happen, you’ll miss out on everything that will happen!” She put her hoof on the stallion’s shoulder, bringing her head closer to his ear. “And when it comes to Twilight, ain’t no harm in askin’ ‘er. I’m sure she’d be happy to dance with you.”

Boltsinger raised his eyebrows, taken aback as his blush returned. He shook his head profusely, holding up a wing in denial. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I think I’ll just… go do… stuff… while you ladies get ready.” He waved over at Sunburst, who was chatting with Maud. “Hey, Sunburst! Why don’t we go do… something… while the girls prepare?”

Surprised, Sunburst looked towards Boltsinger. “Uh-Oh! Yeah! Let’s do… something!” He waved a farewell to Starlight and Maud, walking over to his fellow stallion. He gulped loudly and looked back at Starlight. “You ladies have a good time!”

“Your first Gala, too?” Boltsinger asked.

Sunburst laughed nervously. “Is it that obvious?” He looked forward at the castle they were headed towards. “Starlight asked me to be her plus one, and it’s a nice change of pace from my duties at home.”

“Princess Cadence got you working overtime?” Boltsinger asked.

Sunburst shook his head. “No, it’s not that. Honestly, I’d take any chance to see Starlight. She didn’t have to invite me to some big party.”

“I see…” the Pegasus began, letting out a sly smile. “So, it’s a case of mutual feelings, huh?”

“What was that?” Sunburst wondered.

“Nothing. It’s no big deal.” Boltsinger looked onward.

“So, who are you going with?” the Unicorn queried.

“Me? Oh, I’m with Twilight.” He told the crystaller. Sunburst unleashed his own sly grin at the comment. Boltsinger thought back on his words, then shook his head rapidly. “No, not like that! I mean I’m here with Twilight! Just like you’re here with Starlight!” He looked at the ground as they proceeded. “Don’t mince my words…”

“Well, tonight should be pretty incredible... “ Sunburst concluded, trotting ahead to the castle. Boltsinger flapped his wings, catching up from the air.

The hour arrived, and Boltsinger looked in the mirror in his room. He wore a pitch-black tailcoat with a white button-up shirt underneath. Under the collar of the shirt, he had an electric blue bow tie hanging. It was untied, and he was fiddling with it using his wings to try and get it on right. He sighed, picking up a fedora that bore an electric blue stripe and placing it on his head, his ears poking through some well-placed holes.

Once the hat was on, he looked at himself in the mirror again, taking a deep breath and slapping his face with his wings in an attempt to psyche himself up. “Come on, Bolt, you’ve got this… It’s just another party!” his face flushed again. “That Twilight invited you to that happens to be the biggest night of the year for a lot of ponies that Rarity went and made you a fancy outfit for and even went as far as to give your hair its first treatment in waaaaaaaaaaaaay too many years… Totally not nervous... “ He heard a knock at the door, causing his entire body to tense up, wings sticking straight up. “Okay! Definitely nervous!”

“Boltsinger, are you ready?” Twilight’s voice came from beyond the door. The door cracked open, and the stallion forced his wings into a relaxed state. He turned to the door, scrambling with his tie some more as it swung open. Twilight stood by herself in the doorway, wearing a pure-white gown that rode just a tad high over her tail. It featured gold adornments around her neck and waist, decorated with amethysts, and shoes in a similar style on each hoof. Her royal crown sat upon her head, with her mane done up to where there was a tight curl at the end of her bangs, and the hair on the back of her head styled with both curls and a bun, creating a spiral pattern with the streaks in her hair.

The stallion looked at the mare in awe, his jaw dropped as far is it could go, his wings once again standing stiff. “I-I-I just need to do m-my t-t-tie... “ He finally said. He looked away from her for a second, sneaking a look back at her.

Twilight looked at Boltsinger and laughed, trotting up and taking hold of his tie with her magic. “Well, you look great.” She expertly tied the bow tie into place, resting it flawlessly against his neck above his pendant.

“Yeah… Um… You, too…” He faced her properly again, his blush making a triumphant return. “You’re beautiful.”

Twilight’s cheeks turned a similar color, turning to the door. “Well then, shall we?” She offered.

Boltsinger slapped his face with his wings, walking up next to her and holding out his right wing in an inviting gesture. “Indeed we shall!”

Twilight cupped her left wing into Boltsinger’s right as the two of them trotted off towards the ballroom.

At the entrance to the biggest party of the year in Canterlot, Princess Celestia stood at the top of a stairwell, greeting a large line of ponies to the event. She wore a simple pink gown that bore designs drawing inspiration from her Cutie Mark, otherwise wearing that which she typically wore on a daily basis. She had greeted several of the guests already, including Twilight’s friends and a great many important ponies from all over, but she hadn’t caught sight of her beloved pupil as of yet. She sighed, wondering if Twilight had decided to refrain from appearing, greeting ponies all the while.

As she continued on with her duties, the trumpets began to sound once more. From there, a regally dressed unicorn came forward, his nose turned up.

“Announcing; Princess Twilight Sparkle and her guest, Boltsinger!”

The Princess looked forward, excited to hear her student’s name as she appeared in the doorway, wing linked with the Pegasus beside her. Together, they looked like opposites that belonged together, black and white. She smiled softly as they approached, offering a foreleg to embrace.

“Welcome, Twilight.” She greeted, hugging her fellow Princess tightly. “I thought for a moment that you had decided not to come.”

“Why would you think that?” Twilight asked, breaking the hug.

“We can talk about that later.” Celestia answered. She turned to the stallion in black. “And Boltsinger, it’s such a delight to see you again! Have you made any progress with your wings?”

Boltsinger bowed his head to the Princess of the Sun, lifting his free wing. “I’m honored to be here, Princess. To answer your question, my wings haven’t been doing their thing quite as often, but it still occasionally happens.” He lifted his pendant slightly with his wing. “It’s thanks to this that everypony at home can find me and I can get back.”

“Ah, yes. Twilight wrote to me about your pendant. I’m glad you have better control over them, now.” She pushed them along with one of her wings. “Now, you two enjoy the Gala.”

“Don’t you need my help to welcome the guests?” Twilight asked, looking hopefully at her mentor.

“Not this time, Twilight.” Celestia confirmed. “I just want you and your friends to enjoy the evening.”

Twilight frowned slightly, but looked into the party proper. “All right… Let me know if you need anything, though!”

“Of course.” Celestia confirmed. Twilight smiled and turned to enter the ballroom, wing still linked with that of her guest. She turned her eyes to the orange Pegasus, smiling. “Home, huh?”

As the two made their way into the party, they soon found themselves surrounded by friends. Rainbow Dash was in her Wonderbolts uniform, as the group had a performance later that night in honor of the occasion. Scootaloo, on the other hand, wore a Rainbow Dash-inspired gown, reminiscent of her role model’s outfit for her first Gala. Sweetie Belle, as well, wore a dress similar to one her sister had worn to her first Gala, but with darker shades of purple, and without the glass slippers. Apple Bloom wore a dark green gown with white trim that featured apple patterns along the edge of the skirt, her hair bow covered in small jewels. Applejack, in turn, wore a similar, yet more flattering dress with the red and green opposite of her younger sister’s outfit. Her mane and tail were exquisitely braided, and she wore a brand new hat atop her head that featured apple-shaped rubies along the side. Fluttershy was wearing a simple, earthy dress that flowed to the floor, primarily a forest green, but with tree bark brown patterns leading all the way down, flowers strewn majestically throughout her hair. Pinkie had a bright blue poofy gown, candy patterns everywhere. The sight of it made onlookers hungry. Maud, however, wore the simplest of obsidian black dresses, nothing too fancy. Spike wore his own black tailcoat with a button-up shirt, a red bow tie present around his neck with his spikes pulled back in a definitively suave manner. Starlight wore a dark blue dress with a high collar, a design similar to the glimmer of her Cutie Mark accenting the outfit all the way down to the bottom of the skirt, where the star aspect of the same Cutie Mark lined the hem. Her mane was curled up several times over, creating a bouncy effect. Sunburst was next to her, his mane, tail, and beard all featuring a curl at the ends, not a stray hair in sight. He wore a brighter version of his standard cloak. Rarity trotted up from behind the group, wearing a sleek red dress that sparkled in the light. Her mane and tail were in their usual style, but she had replaced her standard blue eye shadow with the same color red as the gown she wore.

Boltsinger looked at the mares gathered, amazed at the sight. “You ladies all look amazing!” He directed his gaze at Rarity. “You really do incredible work!”

Rarity laughed to herself, raising a hoof to her face. “Why, thank you. I decided that this time around, I would go with a theme of “simple, yet elegant’! To be honest, it was your outfit that inspired them all.”

“Really? Well, thank you.” He looked around the room, seeing the band playing on the stage, the wonderful decorations strewn throughout the room, and various refreshments laid out on the table. He looked at the food there and gulped, swallowing the drool that threatened to escape his mouth. “I’m… gonna get some of those refreshments over there!” He finally let go of Twilight’s wing, fluttering slightly over the crowd and landing at the back of the line. Pinkie bounced along the other side of the table, a plate on her back. She was piling an absurdly large number of sweets onto her plate with her tail as Starlight came up next to the stallion in line.

“So, Sunburst tells me he’s your plus one to this shindig.” Boltsinger began, piling a few things onto his plate. “Is there any particular reason you decided to invite him?” He smiled knowingly, seeing Starlight’s magic flicker to the point of dropping the cupcake she was getting.

“Well--uh… Same reason Twilight invited you!” She told him, her blush more obvious than ever.

“Wait, you mean Rarity convinced you to ask Sunburst?” the stallion clarified. “Or were you thinking she had some ulterior motive in inviting me?”

“You clearly don’t know how much she talks about you when you’re not around, huh?” Starlight informed. “I’m not sure even she realizes it.”

“Oh?” he started. “Well, I guess it sorta makes sense, seeing as we do both spend a lot of time in the library.”

“Yeah, it’s definitely because of that.” Starlight said, a distinct level of sarcasm present in her tone. She filled her plate and trotted over to Sunburst, who followed her out into the garden.

Boltsinger smiled as the two Unicorns made their way. He moved over to a nearby table, setting his plate down and enjoying what he’d gathered. As he looked around, he saw several of his friends laughing and chatting with one another. Rarity was talking with the high society ponies of Canterlot, expanding her social presence while at the same time introducing her sister to the lot of them. Rainbow Dash had taken Scootaloo into the private section where the Wonderbolts were gathered, talking with another Ponyville Wonderbolt named Thunderlane. Applejack and Apple Bloom had a stand set up to sell various treats, while Pinkie and Maud were on the dance floor. Pinkie was bouncing all over, dancing every which way, while Maud stood almost completely still, blinking and swaying her head to the music.

“Go Maud! It’s your birthday!” Pinkie chanted, cheering her sister on. “Yeah! Shake it!!!”

Boltsinger looked at the Pie sisters’ antics and laughed. Continuing his visual tour, he noted that Discord was there, wearing a swanky orange suit and hat with a green slime monster dancing on the floor next to him as he made jokes with Fluttershy. Everypony seemed to be having the time of their lives.

This really is a big deal of a party, huh? He thought, looking at his plate. I should make my own memories tonight! He scarfed his food as fast as he could, slapping his face with his wings and getting up with a determined face. He trotted over to Twilight.

“Twilight!” He started, stepping boldly forward. “I have a… uh… request to make!”

Twilight, who was likewise enjoying the view of the Gala, looked over at the black-clad stallion, smiling. From Boltsinger’s perspective, the world around her lit up as she walked up to him. “Yes?”

“Well, I was wondering if you would like to… that is to say…” He continued. “The music is lovely tonight, isn’t it?”

Twilight giggled into her hoof, walking closer to him. “You wanna dance?” She extended one of her wings forward.

“Yes! Absolutely!” he answered, taking her wing with his as the two walked onto the dance floor.

When they found their spot, their wings uncoupled, and Boltsinger lingered. He extended the same wing out, resting it briefly over Twilight’s flank, right where her Cutie Mark was as she took a position directly in front of him. She began bobbing her head to the music, kicking out and smiling as she danced. The stallion smiled wide, mirroring her movements as the music played on.

Several minutes later, the song changed, and the music began to slow. Twilight and Boltsinger slowed their pace. Twilight turned her head slightly, looking at the stallion with a smile. “Another song?” She requested.

Boltsinger nodded and bowed, offering a hoof to the lady. “It would be my honor.” Twilight placed her hoof in his as the two moved closer together, swaying to the music in an embrace of one foreleg and both wings.

Applejack looked over from her stand, seeing the winged ponies in their dance. “Well, wouldja look at that…” She smiled softly as the Wonderbolt Soarin came up to the cart, ordering his usual apple pie. Apple Bloom stood on her sister’s back, trying to get a glimpse of the scene before them.

Sunburst, coming into the room once more with Starlight, took a look at the dancers. He smiled sheepishly with a red face, turning to Starlight. “You, uh… You wanna dance?”

Starlight’s face turned the same shade of red, nodding as she led her friend to the dance floor. The two took a position not far from their friends, moving slowly to the music.

Spike walked over to Rainbow Dash, who was preparing for the upcoming performance. He tapped the mare’s shoulder with one of his claws. “Check that out!” He pointed over at Twilight and Boltsinger, Rainbow Dash directing her attention at the two.

“Oh, yeah!” Dash cheered, rising up into the air. “Way to go, Twilight!” She hovered in place, spotting something in the distance.

Rarity was chatting with the Unicorn named Fancy Pants, unaware of the goings on. Fancy Pants directed his attention to the dancing Princess, putting a hoof up to get a better view.

“I say, who is that stallion dancing with the Princess?” He wondered, squinting his eyes.

“Oh!” Rarity chimed in, directing her gaze towards them as well. “Why, that’s our friend, Boltsinger! He’s been living in Ponyville for a while now.” She stepped closer to the two, beaming. “It’s lovely to see them together like this.”

“Indubitably!” Fancy Pants confirmed.

Pinkie and Fluttershy, having been talking with one another for a while, joined the group of onlookers, smiling at the sight of their dancing friends.

“Ooh! That looks fun!” Pinkie started. “Buuuut… I think I’ll stay out of it this time.” She turned to Fluttershy, who silently nodded in agreement.

“I’ve noticed something about you, recently.” Twilight began, talking into Boltsinger’s ear.

“Oh? And what would that be?” the stallion replied.

“Your coat has gotten a lot brighter than it was back when we first met.” she explained, backing her head up to get a good look at his face. “You look a lot happier!”

“Well… I am happy.” he confirmed, looking into the Alicorn’s eyes. “Before I met all of you, I had nothing. I thought I was nothing. And then… for the first time, I end up somewhere in which the ponies I meet… rather than wanting me to do something for them, and then sending me on my way… They’re actually worried about me… Then I met everyone in Ponyville, and… Everything just kept getting better and better. Now, here I am, with all of those friends, as the plus one of the Princess of Friendship, dancing with the mare that I love and--” Boltsinger stopped in his tracks, both he and Twilight ceasing their dance.

The world around the two of them seemed to go into slow motion. Twilight’s eyebrows raised, wide-eyed as her mouth went agape, staring at the stallion in front of her. He was smiling weakly with red cheeks, looking at her through half-lidded eyes. Heat built up in her own face as she tried to form words in response, attempting to understand the emotions that had begun swirling around inside her. She looked on, seeing his smile falter as a hoof slammed into the side of his muzzle, sending him flying through the wall, rolling on the ground in the garden, through several bushes and coming to a halt outside on his back. The chain of his pendant had broken, the topaz-crested lightning bolt lying at Twilight’s feet.

Twilight snapped out of her daze, looking at the source of the hoof. There stood a furious Pegasus stallion. His coat was a faded yellow, with a short-cut dirt brown mane and tail. His Cutie Mark was a shattered light bulb, and the feathers on his wings were balled up in a way that resembled fists. He stood on all fours, snorting like mad. The stallion leaped forward, clearing the gap between himself and Boltsinger in a single jump and landing on him, where he began hitting him repeatedly in the face with both of his forelegs and wings.

“WHY ARE YOU HERE, MONSTER?!” He shouted in his rage. “OUR PARENTS ARE GONE, AND IT’S ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!!! SO WHY?! WHY ARE YOU ANYWHERE THAT PONIES COULD POSSIBLY BE HAPPY?!?!”

A rainbow streak slammed into Boltsinger’s assailant, knocking him away. Rainbow Dash landed in front of her friend, head low and wings spread intimidatingly as she dragged her hoof on the ground with a massive snort.

“STAY AWAY FROM MY FRIEND!” the Wonderbolt yelled, beginning a mad charge at the faded stallion.

“What do you mean, ‘friend’?” The stallion asked as he turned around. He bucked Rainbow Dash in the jaw, sending her flying into the air. “That piece of trash doesn’t deserve friends!” He put his hind legs back on the ground, whipping his tail. He looked back, seeing a flash of blue magic, where Starlight appeared and launched a magical blast at him. He jumped out of the way and ran at her, balling his wings up in an attempt to take a swing.

As the stallion closed the distance, a yellow magical field surrounded him, freezing him in place. He struggled frantically to move, but to no avail.

“That. Is. Enough!” Celestia’s voice boomed from above. In a flash of light, the Sun Princess appeared, descending to the ground in front of the stallion. She brought her face close, looking sternly into his eyes. “Why have you assaulted my guest?”

The stallion gritted his teeth, still struggling. “If you knew the kind of pony he was, you would do the same thing!”

Twilight galloped onto the scene, “Do you know what kind of pony he is?” She ran over to Boltsinger. His face was red and puffy from the assault, his hat torn up and his suit in tatters. He sat up, shuddering in terror, breaking into a run towards the farthest corner. Twilight looked upon the angry stallion, magic swelling up in her horn as her face turned to anger.

Twilight's friends all galloped into the garden, the Cutie Mark Crusaders close behind as Rainbow Dash landed. The group surrounded the struggling stallion, closing in.

Before Celestia could open her mouth, a dark green magical field replaced her own, pulling the assailant away.

“Brightling, what are you doing?!” a mare’s voice asked from behind the crowd. The stallion was floated over them, where a Unicorn stood, the same green magic emanating from her horn. She had a dark grey coat with a turned-up muzzle and green eyes. Her mane and tail were white at the root, fading to grey and finally black at the ends in a medium-length messy style reminiscent of Fluttershy and a Cutie Mark featuring three smoking sparks. “What set you off this time?”

Brightling looked over at the mare, released from her magic and standing on his own. “He is here… I couldn’t stop myself.”

“I see.” the grey Unicorn replied. “Well, then, I don’t blame you. Did you at least deal some damage?”

“Of course, Sparks. At least until that rainbow one barged in.” Brightling looked angrily at Rainbow Dash. “I can’t believe any of these ponies would be on that thing’s side…”

“Yes, it’s clear that even Princess Celestia has no good sense anymore.” The Unicorn turned to leave. “Well, then, we’re leaving. No need to wallow in the trash here.” She sauntered off, whipping Brightling’s flank with her tail. He turned to follow, struggling to un-ball his wings and put them at his side.

Twilight, enraged, began to gallop after them, only to run into Celestia’s wing. “Let them go, Twilight.” the white Alicorn said, looking stern yet concerned. “They will never be coming back. Besides...” She looked over at the shuddering orange Pegasus in the corner. “I believe you have something far more important to attend to.”

The magic in Twilight’s horn began to ebb as she followed her mentor’s gaze, seeing a frighteningly familiar sight. Boltsinger was in the same huddled position he was in when they had first met, apologizing profusely and repeatedly as he shook with fear. Twilight ran to him, bringing her face close to his.

“Boltsinger… It’s okay!” She affirmed. “You’re okay…” She sat on the ground, her face not leaving its proximity as her wings came forward around him.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m so… so sorry…” He repeated, his wings growing tense.

“You don’t need to be sorry… Everything is fine!” Twilight said, smiling weakly at him.

Boltsinger’s eyes shot open, pupils shrunken and eyebrows raised. “NO!!!” He shot up into the air, electricity surrounding his body.

“Boltsinger, NO!!!” Twilight called, reaching a hoof out to him. The discharge built up into a sphere around the stallion as his entire body stiffened. His direction changed in midair as he let out a scream that reverberated throughout the city, shooting off in a bolt of lightning and leaving the Princess of Friendship sitting in the garden, tears flowing down her cheeks. “No…”

Celestia looked at her student somberly, turning to the guards at the exits and giving a firm nod. The Pegasi nodded in turn, taking off and scouring the castle for the assailant and his accomplice. She mentally cursed herself for not acting sooner and getting lost in the emotion of the situation. But now, all she could do was be there for Twilight.

Spike came up to Twilight, putting his arms around her and holding out the Pegasus’ pendant. The Princess embraced the dragon, floating the pendant in front of her with sad eyes. Starlight, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash all gathered around their friend, sitting next to her and going in for a group hug that was joined soon after by Princess Celestia.

Twilight accepted every inch of the embrace of everypony around her. She looked up, seeing the electricity lingering in the air. “He said… he loved me…” She looked at the pendant that she floated with her magic, dropping it into a free wing and holding it close. She looked forward with a face of sheer determination. “I have to find him…”

Everypony's Accounts

Three days had passed since the Gala, and noon was approaching as the Princess of Friendship began to stir from her sleep.She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes with a hoof, listening for any indication of a familiar voice in the distance. She had grown used to the sound of a certain stallion’s humming some mornings, and relished the chance to search the castle for the source. Alas, there was no music today. as the source wasn’t present. She got up out of bed and moved to her mirror, brushing her hair.

“Twilight?” Spike called from the hallway. “Are you awake?”

“Hm? Good morning, Spike. I’m awake.” She replied, looking over at the door.

The baby dragon poked his head into the room. “Starlight is making lunch. Cauliflower Bites! My personal recipe!”

Twilight finished brushing her hair and turned to her assistant. “I’ll be right down.” She floated her friend’s pendant around her neck, making her way to the hall. Over the past few days, she had a myriad of thoughts swirling through her head. She worried for her friend that had flown away at the Gala, while simultaneously thinking on the words he had said to her just before the debacle began. He said he ‘loved’ me… But does that mean what Applejack and Rarity have been insisting? If it does… What does that mean for me?

She made her way to the dining room, feeling what she thought was the heat from the oven in the nearby kitchen as she sat down. Starlight floated plates in to set the table, sitting down and looking over at Twilight with a grin.

“Thinking about somepony special?” the Unicorn teased.

Twilight tilted her head, wondering what her friend meant. She raised a hoof to her face, feeling heat coming off of it. Her eyes widened as she lowered her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She huffed, floating up some cauliflower bites and stuffing one in her mouth.

“So, when did you get to bed last night?” Starlight asked, “This is the third day in a row you’ve gotten up this late. You’ve been lagging behind on your Princess duties.”

Spike sat at the table and munched on one of the bites. “She was up half the night doing research. Something about search patterns.” He picked up another morsel. “There were a few other books in the pile, too, but I didn’t see much of them. Just the covers.”

Twilight quickly swallowed the food in her mouth, quickly getting up from the table. “Well, thanks for breakfast! Gotta get to those Princess duties, bye!” She sped out of the room, leaving a cloud of dust where she stood. Starlight and Spike looked at one another as the Alicorn ran off, nodding.

A pile of papers sat on the map, surrounded in turn by a pile of books. Twilight sat in her throne, filling out each piece of paper one at a time, sighing as she filled each new stack. The door opened wide, Rainbow Dash flying in past the Princess. The turbulence from her dash caused the paper stacks to wobble like mad.

“Oh no…” Twilight began, her mouth agape as the towers of paper swayed back and forth. Her horn began to light up, building up towards the tip as the stacks fell apart. “NononononononononNO!!!” Light erupted from the tip of her horn, stopping half of the papers from falling as the rest dispersed throughout the room. Twilight righted the stacks that she was able to save, then sent a dirty look towards her flying friend.

Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped, sending her falling to the floor. “What the heck, Twilight?! Normally you’d catch all that in an instant! You’re really messed up if you can’t catch a bunch of paper!” She walked over to a sheet. “Here, let me help you clean up.” She gathered up the fallen documents and brought them over to her friend in a messy pile. The Princess cleaned the dirt from her book and levitated the various papers.

“I’m sorry.” she started, beginning to sort each piece into its pile. “I’ve had a lot on my mind. What do you need?”

“I just wanted to let you know that I’m gonna be gone for a few days.” Rainbow explained. “I’m gonna be going south for a while after Wonderbolts practice is done. Should make for a good vacation!”

“Oh! Well, have a nice trip!” Twilight said with a smile, quickly returning to her work. “I’ll be…” she let out a bored sigh. “... here… like always…”

Rainbow Dash sat on the floor next to Twilight’s throne. “Have you heard from him?” She inquired.

Cue another sigh. “No. I’ve been trying to figure out how we might be able to find him, but I don’t think I can convince a search party to cover that large of an area just to find one pony!”

“Well, I’ll let you know if I see anypony familiar down there.” Rainbow Dash put a hoof on her friend’s shoulder, receiving a smile in return. “Well, I’ll see ya later!” With that, she flapped her wings and flew off.

As the pile of completed paperwork reached its peak, Twilight shot up from her throne, taking every last piece of paper in front of her that lacked the binding of a book and floating it to another room in the castle. Swelling up with pride at finally catching up on all her work, she cantered back to the throne room to open up those research books some more. There were still several that she hadn’t looked at yet, and she had high hopes that she could use the information in them to find--

“Cadence?!” the lilac Princess exclaimed, coming to an abrupt stop in both movement and thought at the doorway to the throne room. There stood the Princess reigning over the Crystal Empire, smiling softly as her sister-in-law entered the room. “What are you doing here?”

Cadence trotted over to Twilight and gave her a hug. “Spike and Starlight sent me a letter telling me about your recent emotional state.” She walked her fellow Alicorn to the map, where the two sat. “I heard about what happened at the Gala from Sunburst. Frankly, I’m surprised you’ve gotten sleep!”

“Only because a certain dragon insisted, and my friends all made good points about not freaking out.” Twilight answered. “Except for Pinkie.”

“They’re good friends. And it was wise of you to listen to what they had to say.” Cadence affirmed. “But anypony who knows you can tell that it’s still bothering you, and it’s a lot more than just worry. What’s wrong?”

“I’m sure Starlight told you already.” Twilight told her. “Everypony has been teasing both me and Boltsinger about it for a while, now. Applejack and Rarity especially.”

“They did talk about how close you two got after your visit to the Crystal Empire.” the Crystal Princess confirmed, putting a hoof to her muzzle as she remembered her conversations. “I spoke with some of them before I came here. But nothing they had to say sounded like ‘teasing’. Could you possibly give me more of an insider’s perspective?”

Twilight gave a frustrated sigh. “All right, fine… You’re right. I’m worried about where he’s gone, but that’s not all. While we were dancing, he said something that I… didn’t expect.”

“And that was…?” Cadence led, holding out a hoof.

“He told me that he… loved me.” she admitted.

Cadence gave a knowing nod. “And this surprised you?”

“Well… yes!” Twilight said. “I know we’re friends, and life has been different ever since he arrived. But he’s never shown that kind of interest! Least of all said anything!”

“Are you sure he’s never shown it?”

“He’s always been jumpy, and he stammers a lot! He’s been spending time with everypony, not just me! I thought that the little bit of music he made every day was just him being happy, not from… Well, you know.”

Cadence giggled to herself. “I know. But Rarity said something interesting when I spoke to her.

Twilight’s head tilted slightly. “She did? What was it?”

“She referred to him as ‘butter in your hooves’.” Cadence proceeded to light up her horn, causing what seemed like a window to appear between the two mares. Rarity’s face was on it in the Carousel Boutique.

“Oh, darling, it’s obvious that Bolt has a ‘thing’ for Twilight! Every time she’s around he gets this adorable little goofy grin on his face, and whenever he goes into one of his panic attacks, she’s the only one that can calm him right down! It’s so easy for her! Why, when I was treating his mane for the Gala, it took total confinement in the room to get him to let me even touch his mane with a hair brush!” She looked behind her at a box filled with broken hair brushes. “Luckily, the result was worth the effort.” Twilight laughed at the sight. “And the way she talks about him sometimes! She was so excited that he asked her to tutor him that she stayed up all night coming up with a syllabus! And she goes on about how nice it is to have somepony to read with in the dead of night, even though they’re hardly ever reading the same book. It’s really quite charming.”

Cadence changed the image, showing Applejack in front of the farm. “Y’know, for such a spookable stallion, he sure does come through when it counts.” the farm pony said, looking over at the pigs and chickens. “Give ‘im the right job an’ he does it better than Big Mac on Buckin’ Day!” Big Mac walked by in the background, glaring at his sister for the comment. “I was a little surprised that he wanted to work here at the farm, though. He said sumthin’ ‘bout wantin’ to contribute back at the castle, so he needed the bits for it.” She brought a hoof to her mouth. “Personally, I think he just didn’t wanna have Twilight see ‘im as a burden of some sort. Not that she would, o’ course!”

”Has he been paying rent?“ Twilight realized aloud. “That does explain the big pile of bits in my room every first of the month… I thought he just wanted some money to spend at Sugar Cube Corner.”

Cadence laughed, switching the image to show Fluttershy in her cottage. “When we all first met him, I was scared that he wasn’t going to like anypony, or that he was gonna run away. But he turned out to be so friendly whenever he wasn’t in… you know… a panic…” Fluttershy said the last words in a whisper. “I’m ever-so-glad he was able to warm up to everypony. I believe that he’ll get home safe, even if we don’t find him! Why, even Angel wants him to come back! Don’t you, little bunny?” She nuzzled her bunny with her muzzle. The bunny in question gave a deadpan look at Cadence, shaking his head slightly. Twilight laughed at the little bunny’s displeasure, her face lighting up as she saw the different accounts of her friends.

Cadence looked at her sister-in-law with a warm smile. She switched the image one more time to show Pinkie Pie sitting in Sugar Cube Corner, already laughing. “You should have seen him when he saw the test cake for Twilight’s birthday! He thought it was gonna be for the real thing, and that it was the next day! He was thinking so hard on what to get her! Then, the look on his face when I told him how long it was until her birthday!” She couldn’t contain her laughter, falling over backwards a bit. She bounced back up quickly. “He really seemed to enjoy the cake, too!”

“Test cake? She made one of those?” Twilight pondered. “Well, it is Pinkie we’re talking about. I wonder what Boltsinger thought to get me…”

“Books, most likely.” Cadence flatly replied, switching the image to show Rainbow Dash in her Wonderbolts jacket, packing her bags.

“Yeah, that’s probably it.” Twilight agreed, looking at the image of her Pegasus friend.

“Of course I can tell that Bolt has a thing for Twilight!” She shouted. “The only thing even more obvious is how oblivious she is!” She put a bunch of Daring Do books into one of her bags. “As a flyer, he’s aight. He’s definitely improved a lot over time. But I don’t think he puts all his effort into it. He could be an amazing stunt flyer if he put his mind to it, but I think somepony else is in his head a lot more, these days. Oh! I have to tell you something!” She leaned in close, appearing to whisper into Cadence’s ear. “When Twi was announcing that she gets to write some new Cutie Mark research book, I was excited for her just like everypony else… But the way she put it… Oh, man! You just had to hear it! She was talking about how she’d… pay ‘close attention’ to his flank! I don’t think she even realized what was so funny, but I just couldn’t help myself!” Remembering the occasion, she fell to the floor laughing. After a few seconds, she got back up and gave a serious look. "I'm gonna let you in on something... I'm not going on vacation. I'm going to be searching for Bolt. I can cover a lot of ground in a few days, and if I find him, that's a huge load off of Twilight. It just kills me to see her depressed."

Twilight thought back on the announcement she made, remembering her words. Her jaw dropped as she looked at the image of her laughing friend. “I did not mean it that way! I was talking about his Cutie Mark! Nothing else!” She waved her forelegs in front of her, facing Cadence with a rather deep shade of red covering her face. Cadence smiled and ceased her spell, walking over to the younger Alicorn.

“You know, even Shining Armor caught onto how he feels.” she told her.

“Really?” Twilight responded.

“Yup! Right when he heard that Boltsinger was a friend of yours, he came right up to him and started teasing the idea that you two were ‘more than friends’.” She smiled and put a wing around Twilight, turning towards the door and starting her spell up once more, revealing an image of more memories from her own perspective, seeing Shining Armor and Boltsinger in the Crystal Empire, with Twilight chasing Flurry Heart overhead.

“Who is this?” Shining Armor asked the Princess.

“Oh! Shining Armor!” Cadence exclaimed, getting up to trot over and hug her husband. “This is Boltsinger, a friend of Twilight's!”

Shining Armor looked at the Pegasus, who saw the much larger pony and drooped his ears. “A friend, huh?” He trotted over to Boltsinger and sat down next to him, putting a hoof around him. “You sure you’re just a ‘friend’, Boltsinger?”

The orange stallion ducked his head, his eyes darting around the room. “Why is everypony assuming that today?!” He raised his head and stepped forward, spreading his wings. “First Rarity, then Starlight, and now you! What are you? Her brother?!” He raised a hoof and looked back at Shining Armor, seeing his Cutie Mark and dropping his jaw. “You’re her brother, aren’t you?”

Shining Armor closed his eyes and nodded, a sly smile present on his muzzle. Boltsinger jumped up, hovering in place and raising his forelegs, shaking them rapidly.

“I swear, sir, I’m not planning to make a move on your sister!” He shouted. “She’s a very important friend of mine, and I don’t want to ruin that! I promise!”

Shining Armor burst into laughter, walking over to the spot just below Boltsinger. He looked up at him and beckoned him down. “Calm down! It’s okay!” The Pegasus slowly descended as the playing Princesses sped on by. “Twilight may be my sister, but she’s a smart cookie.” He looked up as his sister and daughter flew by again. “I trust her to make her own choices. You don’t have to worry so much.”

Twilight fondly looked on as the memory played out before her. “I didn’t realize Shining Armor trusted me that much… Wait, was everypony really teasing him about that all day? Why didn’t he say anything to me then?”

“I wondered the same thing, myself.” Cadence replied, changing up the image once more to show Boltsinger in the room he’d stayed in at the Crystal Empire. “So I decided to ask him before you all left.”

In the image, Boltsinger was seated on the floor, his right hoof and wing both raised up and scratching his messy, wind-blown mane. “Don’t get me wrong. She’s beautiful. Stunning, really. But… she’s a Princess, for Celestia’s sake!” He spread his forelegs out to imply just how big of a deal that was. “And I’m just some malfunctioning pony she just met a little while ago… Even if I did want to make a move, she’s out of my league. Plus… She’s my first real friend. I would love to have her as my special somepony, but not if it means the risk of ruining that friendship. It’s too important to me.” He lifted his pendant with his wing, taking a long, hard look at it.

Twilight, in turn, lifted the very same pendant. There were little electric shocks going through it, as if it was trying to activate. She looked from the pendant to the now-still image that Cadence had up in front of her, seeing the main occupant of her thoughts for the last several days. Tears welled up in her eyes as she turned to her sister-in-law, who ceased her spell and came in for a big hug.

“Have you sorted things out?” Cadence inquired. “Because the way you feel right now is pretty clear to me.”

After a minute or two in embrace, Twilight finally spoke up. “I think so…” She broke the hug, wiping the tears away with her wings. “I just wish I’d caught on sooner. Thank you, Cadence.”

“You should thank your friends.” the pink Princess told her. “They were the ones that contacted me and let me know what was going on.”

“You’re right.” Twilight agreed, moving to her throne. “But you still came and helped me. So thank you.”

Cadence laughed. “Anything for my favorite sister-in-law.” She sat in Rainbow Dash’s throne.

As the two were seated, a light shone from Twilight’s flank, Boltsinger’s pendant loosing a small shock to the area. Around her Cutie Mark, several smaller versions of the same mark appeared, repeatedly moving into the main mark in a flashing manner. Twilight took a look at the glowing mark, well aware of what it meant. From there, a magical image of the mark flew off her flank, flying over to the map as it came to life. Twilight and Cadence lifted the plethora of books stacked on top of it away, putting them on the side of the room. The floating Cutie Mark encircled the map of all of Equestria, flying over a number of locations before finally landing on a city situated atop a cloud.

“Las Pegasus?” Twilight wondered, looking at the revealed location. “Wait a minute…” She lifted the pendant with her magic, floating it over the location, where the sparking intensified in conjunction with her Cutie Mark. “And it’s only calling me…”

“Well, you know where to go, now.” Cadence affirmed, looking closely at the map. “So, what’s your plan?”

Pony of Performance

Twilight and Cadence sat at the map, looking at the floating image of the lilac-coated Princess’ Cutie Mark as it circled the city of Las Pegasus. The mare in question was floating the pendant belonging to a friend next to the flying Mark, the two things passing electricity back and forth.

“Well, you know where to go now.” Cadence said, noting the phenomenon. “So, what’s your plan?”

Twilight moved the pendant back, putting it on. “That’s obvious.” She sat up and turned her gaze towards the pink Princess. “I’m going. Whether or not he’s there, I’ve been called by the map. I have a responsibility.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” the older Alicorn told the younger. “I’ll leave you to it, then.” She went in to embrace her sister-in-law. “Now you let me know what happens. I want to hear every detail right away!” Twilight nodded as her foal-sitter turned to leave.

Twilight turned and cantered off towards her room, passing a tiny purple dragon as she ran. Spike looked at his best pony friend curiously, deciding to follow the mare.

In her room, Twilight pulled out her saddlebags, putting books, quills, ink, scrolls, extra ink, and extra extra ink inside. Just in case she needed to document something. She floated a blank book over to her, bearing Boltsinger’s Cutie Mark on it. She shoved it in another pocket as Spike opened the door.

“What’s going on, Twilight?” the dragon asked as he walked in. “Was Cadence able to help?”

“More than that!” Twilight began, hanging her saddlebags on her back. “I’ve gotten a lead on where Boltsinger is!” She reared up with a smile, kicking the air in front of her. As she landed, she looked fondly at her assistant. “And it never would have happened if you and Starlight hadn’t talked to Cadence.” She extended a foreleg, beckoning her friend over. Spike obliged, giving his friend a hug. “Thank you…”

Spike broke the hug, putting his claws on his hips. “Yeah, leave it to me to know just how to fix your problems!” He bragged. Twilight let out a laugh at the statement. “So, where are you going?”

“Las Pegasus!” The Princess answered. “The map called me there, and I think it might be that lead I mentioned!”

“All right! When do we leave?” Spike inquired, hopping on her back.

The corners of Twilight’s mouth turned down slightly at the question. “I’m sorry, Spike. The map only called me, which means I’m the only one that’s needed there.” Spike let loose a frown of his own, sliding off of the pony’s back.

“Oh… okay.” He walked towards the door, lingering in the doorway and looking back. “Good luck!” With that, the baby dragon ran off through the halls.

Arriving in Las Pegasus, Twilight took a look around. There were ponies everywhere, scrambling to the various shows and attractions that were going on. This was her first time in such an interesting city, and it was exactly as Applejack and Fluttershy had described. A bustle of excitement and liveliness, but with a different feeling than what she gets in Manehattan. The Princess noted that a lot of ponies were going to one particular hotel. In the arches above the doorway, she saw sculpting of two very familiar Unicorns.

Furrowing her brow, she trotted towards the establishment. As a testament to the owners, solid gold statues of the Unicorns in question were placed in the center of the room, with several onlookers taking in the sight greedily. She rolled her eyes, knowing better than to dwell on the “accomplishments” of those two. She opted to take a look around the room in an attempt to find out what she needed to solve what friendship problems may come.

“Have you seen the new performance here?” an Earth Pony in the crowd asked. “He’s waaaaaaaaaaaaay better than that joke of a show they called ‘the New and Improved Poneigh Fantastique’. I can’t believe anypony would pay their hard-earned bits on a show with no performers!”

“I know! That stallion, though. His show is amazing! How does he get all of those sounds to come from all those places?!” another pony responded. “I just wish the show wasn’t so darn short! One song and he’s done!”

“Excuse me…” Twilight started, walking over to the ponies. “Are you talking about an orange stallion that’s performing?” The ponies nodded enthusiastically. “Blue mane?” The ponies nodded once more. “Cutie Mark like this?!” She floated the blank book out of her saddlebags, showing the cover to the ponies.

“Why, that’s it exactly!” The Earth Pony exclaimed. “He’s got a performance coming up soon! Did you come to see it?”

Twilight smiled and put the book away. “I guess so!” She went up to the counter and purchased a ticket.

Later, in a large auditorium, hundreds of ponies had gathered. They were all silent, looking at the stage in anticipation. Twilight came in from the back, taking a seat at the top. On the stage, the salesponies she had come to know as Flim and Flam took center stage.

“Fillies and gentlecolts, may I say it gives me grrrrrreat pleasure to see you all here today!” Flim announced.

Flam chimed in, stepping forward next to his brother. “And might I add that it is our pleasure to present this sublime spectacle to you!”

The ponies in the crowd all cheered as the brothers bowed.

“Thank you! Thank you!” They said simultaneously. “And now, we present to you…”

“With out any assistance from sound devices,”

“instrumental accompaniment,”

“Magic,”

“Or other ponies of any kind!”

The lanky twins raised their hats with their forelegs. “Our amazing discovery! The incredible stallion whose name says it all!” Twilight’s eyes sparkled as Flim and Flam exited on opposite sides of the stage. “BOOOOOOOOOOOLTSINGEEEEEEER!”

The curtain behind the two opened, a familiar orange stallion with a messy, wind-blown, blue mane came in, twirling the individual feathers on his wingtips around, pockets of air at each one, with a somber look on his face. He raised his head, whipping his wings forward. The six pockets of air flew to the corners of the room as a familiar breeze blew by the Princess. Boltsinger gave another swift flap of his wings, remaining in the air, breaking open the pockets and releasing the sound inside.

From inside the pockets, the humming that Twilight had become so familiar with echoed through the room. She stood up in her seat as harmonies formed from the other pockets. Then, just when the Princess thought it couldn’t get any better, Boltsinger opened his mouth, accompanied by two more tones of the same voice.

~Of all the money tha-at ‘ere I spent…

I spent it i-in good company…

A-and all the harm that ‘ere I done…

A-alas it was to-o none but me…~

The non-lyrical pockets let out three somber notes in the pause.

~And all I’ve done,

For want of wit,

To memory now I can’t recall…

So-o fill to me the-e parting glass…

Good night and joy be-e with you all!~

Twilight flapped downward, lifting herself into the air and hovering in place for a better view. The accompaniments refrain continued as Boltsinger opened his mouth once more.

~O-of all the comrades that ‘ere I had…

They’re sorry fo-or my-y going away…~

His eyes opened, looking out at the crowd.

~A-and all the sweethearts that ‘ere I loved…

Wo-ould wish me o-one more day to stay!~

The three somber notes sounded once more.

~But si-ince i-it falls, unto-o my-y lot,

That I should rise a-and you should not…~

He descended towards the stage floor, putting his forelegs against his chest.

~I-i’ll gently rise a-and softly call…

Good night and joy be-e with you all!~

He landed, his hind legs on the floor with his forelegs still in their position while he continued flapping.

~So-o fill to me the-e parting glass…

Good night and joy be-e with you all!~

He brought his forelegs to the floor, eyes closing as the air pockets finished their work, dissipating soon after.

“And there you have it, folks! The talented Boltsinger!” Flim announced, coming with his brother back onstage, pushing the somber stallion aside with their magic.

The crowd cheered, some of the mares in the audience weeping. One such mare was Twilight, who flew up higher.

“BOLT!” She cried out, loud enough to carry over the cheers and reach the stage.

Boltsinger lifted his head, opening his eyes wide as he saw the large, fluttering wings of the Alicorn in the room. “Twilight…?”

The Princess dove headlong into the Pegasus, forelegs extended as she landed, wrapping her wings and forelegs around him, the tears still running down her face as they fell to the floor. “That was beautiful…” She managed to say between heavy breaths.

Boltsinger smiled, putting his forelegs around the mare. “Thank you...” He stroked her mane slowly. “It was just me being honest, though.”

Twilight lifted her head, looking the stallion in his tired eyes. He looked like he always did, save for the dark circles forming under his eyes. He yawned, keeping his smile as he looked at her.

“So, Rarity really wasn’t kidding…” Boltsinger commented.

“What are you talking about?” she asked, tilting her head and cocking an eyebrow.

“She said you would never rest until I was standing before you if I ever flew away.” He chuckled, pulling back his forelegs to release Twilight from his grip. “You didn’t go crazy, did you?”

Twilight got up, helping her friend to his hooves. “I almost did. I did research on how search patterns work, and I wanted to form a search party. But… my friends didn't let me go as far as I wanted to. I ended up sleeping in for a few days.”

“If that’s the worst that happened, I’m glad.” Boltsinger replied. “I wouldn’t want you totally uprooting all of your duties just for me.”

“Hey! I caught up after a while!” The Alicorn huffed. Her companion laughed softly. She went on to explain how she had gotten a visit from Cadence, and how the map had called her there while decidedly leaving out some of the more emotional parts of her day.

“So, the map called you here?” Boltsinger repeated. “I wonder what kind of friendship problem there is to solve…”

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, abruptly stopping as Flim and Flam chimed in.

“Well, well, well! If it isn’t the Princess of Friendship!” Flim started, speeding in between Twilight and Boltsinger.

“I see you’re a fan of our star performer!” Flam continued, putting a hoof around Boltsinger. “You’re not planning on carting off with him, are you?”

“Well, I wasn’t gonna--” Twilight said, Flim getting in her face.

“Because I know a great many ponies who would be astoundingly…”

“Incredibly…”

“Extremely…”

“UNDENIABLY disappointed in their fair Princess for taking away their favorite twelve-performance-a-day show!” Flam finished, looking back at his brother from the Pegasus’ side.

Twilight looked back and forth between the Unicorns during their exchange, getting wobbly with confusion. “But… I--”

Flam moved over to the Princess. “Bu~ut, if you’re here to make sure he’s ready for the next show, that’s another story entirely!”

“We would be happy to have you along to improve the show!” Flim told her, holding up a foreleg.

Twilight looked over at the stallion she came to see. He was practically falling asleep on his hooves, dozing off and waking up repeatedly with a soft grin on his face. She looked at the smiling brothers, knowing their history with her friend Applejack.

“Twelve shows a day?” she started, getting in Flim’s face. “Isn’t that a bit unfair?”

“It’s the schedule he signed up for! Considering the prep time he requires for each performance, he’s got a full day’s schedule every day for quite some time!” Flim explained. “Besides, right when crowds started getting tired of Poneigh Fantastique, this bright little pony showed up as if out of nowhere, offering up his services! Who are we to turn down such generosity! And without any equipment whatsoever! Why, it’s almost as if he’s born for this!”

Flam joined his brother. “Why, you wouldn’t want to take the boy away from his calling, now would you?”

Twilight gave an angry growl at the smiling salesponies. She tried to speak up once more, but was distracted by the sound of hooves scraping against the floor. She turned her head to see Boltsinger falling to the floor, completely passed out. Her horn lit up as she caught the stallion, putting him up to rest on her back and holding him up with her wings.

She turned to Flim and Flam, her look still stern. “Tell you what. I’ll come up with his new schedule. You’ll get a spectacle of a show, and you’ll only need to have one show a day!”

Flim gave Twilight a relaxed look, leaning in. “Really? You would do this for us?”

Twilight stomped her front left hoof. “No!” The scammy brothers were taken aback. “I’m doing this for him! And we’re going to work on a plan to get you somepony to replace him! And soon!”

The brothers simultaneously lifted their hats with their magic, taking a bow with a flourish of their headwear. “It would be our pleasure, Princess!” from their bow, they looked at one another with a devious smirk.

Twilight floated her saddlebags over from across the room, trotting off in the direction of the hotel. “All right, let’s get you some rest…” she whispered softly into his ear as she proceeded.

Author's Note

EDIT: I have made an a capella track of the song featured in this chapter. If you want to give it a listen, here it is.

The song used is the traditional Scottish song knows as “The Parting Glass”. The arrangement I had in mind was one performed by the Irish Tenors. Full disclaimer, I don't own it. So that you know, Boltsinger is a baritone.

How To Make An Honest Flim-Flammer

Twilight sat in a room of the hotel she had found a friend at, the friend in question laying on the bed. He had been performing all day, and gotten little rest. The Princess had carried him to his room, and started working on a new performance schedule for the stallion, should he stay on. As she continued her work, she took the occasional glance back at him. The bags under his eyes began to fade, but he was tossing and turning in his sleep. Her gaze lingered as she thought back on their reunion. She let out an exasperated sigh, turning back to her work.

Hours later, as the sky turned orange outside, Boltsinger groaned loudly, slowly opening his eyes. Twilight jumped from her chair, turning to look in his direction. Upon seeing him stir, she scrambled to his side, her head hanging over his.

“Twilight?” The stallion started as her face came into view. His eyebrows raised as the vision of her refused to disappear as his sight cleared up. “You’re really here?! I wasn’t dreaming?”

“Yes, Boltsinger, I’m really here.” She confirmed, slowly nodding. “Is that really such a surprise?”

The blue-maned stallion nodded in silence, his eyes watering. “After what happened at the Gala… I just… I thought that my time with everypony was over…” He heaved another breath. “I thought I’d never see you again… that... that--”

Twilight put a hoof over his mouth, a warm smile present on her muzzle. “I told you… I’ll do everything in my power to get you home.” She lifted him into a sitting position with her magic, then proceeded to float the pendant off of her neck, returning it to its rightful place around the stallion’s neck. “You dropped something at the Gala, by the way.”

Boltsinger looked down at the crystal and topaz necklace, the water in his eyes beginning to flow out. His gaze drifted back to the Princess before him, his breath heaving once again as any semblance of composure melted away. He broke down completely, lowering his head and leaning into his friend. She put her forelegs and wings around him, cradling him as he wept.

“I saw Brightling there and I just... I couldn’t stop myself.” He started, slowly calming down through hics and sobs. “Everything I ever felt over the years just… It all came back, and I lost control… I landed here, and I thought it was something I deserved… That it was my punishment for finally being happy… That everything Sparks ever said about me was spot-on… I thought you all saw that, too, and…” He lost himself for a few seconds more, the Alicorn stroking his mane.

“We heard all about it from Grand Pear.” Twilight informed him. “None of it was your fault. You didn’t have any control back then.” She lifted Boltsinger’s head with the tip of her right wing. “There is nothing that either of them could have said that could change the way we all think of you.”

The stallion sniffed up some of his tears, wiping the rest away with his wings. “Thank you…” He sat up on his own, moving over to the desk with a deep breath. “So, what have you been working on so diligently?” He looked closely at the production schedule that Twilight had been working on.

“That would be a new and improved schedule for your next performance!” The Princess announced, taking a seat at the desk. “It puts you at one show a day, and gives us ample prep time before it starts! You should be able to get quite a few more songs into one show with this!” She telekinetically lifted the schedule over to show him. His mouth opened softly as his eyebrows rose.

“Wait, this implies that you…” He started.

“Yup.” Twilight finished, nodding proudly.

“And then we would…” he continued.

“That’s right!” She confirmed.

“I see…” he said, looking over the paper and at the mare. “You’re brilliant, you know that?”

Twilight blushed slightly, leaning into the compliment. “So I’ve heard.” She got up and walked over to the window. “Next, we just have to line up a replacement act.”

“Flim and Flam can do that. They need to learn to put actual effort into this kind of stuff.” Boltsinger stated. He walked up next to Twilight, looking out the window as his head began to tilt. “Then again… I can think of a pony that might help to convince them…”

Twilight turned her gaze towards her Pegasus friend. “You can’t possibly be thinking of…?”

“As a matter of fact, I am!” Boltsinger turned towards his Alicorn friend. “Starlight tells me that pony always wanted to do a show in Las Pegasus, after all.”

Twilight let a devious grin emerge on her muzzle. “You’re brilliant, you know that?”

Boltsinger smirked, looking back out at the view. “So I’ve heard.”

The next day, Boltsinger and Twilight were backstage doing final preparations for the show on the new production schedule. Boltsinger was standing by the curtain, each wingtip holding a different pocket of air while Twilight held eighteen more pockets in place with her magic. She smiled at the stallion as he looked back at her. His wings jolted as his face went calm, wings still doing their work. Flim and Flam were in front of the curtain, doing their intro as he stepped out. From backstage, Twilight could hear a far more upbeat song begin, sounding downright jazzy. She found herself dancing to the beat that his hooves made as he flapped along. As the crowd cheered, Twilight brought forth three of the orbs she held, placing them above her friend onstage as a four-part harmony began, sounding something akin to a barber shop quartet. With each new song, Twilight would bring forth three more orbs, until six remained. Boltsinger twitched his tail behind the curtain, alerting Twilight to an upcoming finale. She brought the remaining orbs forward to place them in the corners of the auditorium, the familiar song of the previous day ringing in her ears.

As the crowd began cheering, Boltsinger retreated behind the curtain with a graceful bow, turning to Twilight. He was breathing heavily, but smiling as if he had been re-energized. “So, how was it?” He asked.

Twilight laughed out loud. “I think you should ask the audience!” She trotted over and gave him a quick hug as the proprietors of the establishment came forward.

“That was amazing!” Flim began.

“Stupendous!” Flam continued.

“Top-of-the-line!” Flim added.

“One hundred percent…” Flam lead.

“Extraordinary!” The two simultaneously concluded.

“We can’t wait to see what you’ll do tomorrow night!” Flim told them.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it, gentlecolts.” Boltsinger started. “Because it was most definitely…”

“Absolutely…” Twilight continued.

“Positively…” Boltsinger added.

“One hundred percent…” Twilight lead.

“The last show you’ll get!!!” The two winged ponies simultaneously concluded, each raising a foreleg and laughing.

The salesponies’ jaws dropped, looking back and forth between one another and the ponies before them.

“But-but-but… What about the show?!” Flim asked. “We don’t have anypony else lined up to replace you!”

“Oh, we took care of that.” Twilight informed them. “She should be arriving in the morning!”

“Is she good?” The mustachioed brother inquired.

Boltsinger snickered. “Oh, you don’t have to worry. She’s great!”

Flim and Flam looked at them, bright-eyed. “Yes?”

Twilight nodded with her friend. “She’s powerful!”

The brothers cocked opposite eyebrows. “Powerful?” They wondered.

The door swung open to the hotel the next morning, revealing a blue Unicorn mare with a light blue mane and tail taking a cocky stance upon her entrance. She had purple eyes, and wore a purple pointed hat and cape that had blue and yellow star patterns strewn about, with a jewel buckle holding the cape on her.

“The Grrrrrreat and Powerful TRIXIE has arrived!!!” She exclaimed, fireworks going off behind her. She walked up to the counter. “I have an appointment with the Princess here. Would you be so kind as to direct me to her room?”

Trixie made her way into the room she was informed of, seeing Twilight with the stallion Starlight had introduced her to a month ago. To her left, she saw a couple shady-looking salesponies.

“Hi, Trixie!” Boltsinger greeted, waving one of his wings. “Glad you could make it!”

“Of course!” The illusionist answered. “When I heard there was a show slot waiting for me in Las Pegasus, I couldn’t help but come!” She looked over at the greedy-eyed Unicorns in the room. “Are these the owners of this place?”

“You mean you couldn’t tell from the statues?” Twilight asked.

Trixie scoffed. “Oh, I didn’t pay any attention to those gaudy things! I had more important things to worry about.”

“So, can you do the show?” Flim queried.

“Well, I’ll need some things to perform at my best…” Trixie told him. She began listing a number of props, along with a new hat and cape, as well as a slew of assistants and effects. Twilight and Boltsinger headed out the door.

“Well, we’ll leave you to it!” Boltsinger called out, delivering a mock salute with his foreleg as he and Twilight sped out the door.

Trixie stood onstage, several handsome stallions surrounding her as she struck a pose. She wore a shining silver version of her normal hat and cape that bore golden stars and a ruby cape clip. Massive magical fireworks shot off from behind her, showering the cheering audience with sparkles. Twilight and Boltsinger were in the front row, stomping and woo-hoo-ing happily at the finale.

As the winged ponies turned to leave, they felt a sudden pulling at their hind legs. They turned around, seeing Flim and Flam gripping them tightly.

“Please don’t leave her here!” Flim pleaded.

“She’s so demanding!” Flam added.

“So expensive!” Flim continued.

“So--” the brothers were cut off as the Princess spoke up.

“So good!” She corrected. “Look at that crowd!”

“Bigger than my crowd, that’s for sure.” Boltsinger commented. “Looks like they had a better time, too.”

The Flim-Flam Brothers let go of the objects of their begging to stand up. They looked at the excited ponies in awe.

“Why, you’re right!” Flam admitted.

“You mean, this is what happens when we put real effort into the show?” Flim asked.

“I’d say it’s worth the cost of admission, wouldn’t you?” Twilight pondered, turning to her orange friend.

“Why, I’d shell out quite a few bits to see a show that good.” Boltsinger stated. “I bet all these ponies agree with me, too.” He motioned to the crowd with his wing.

“I dare say you ponies have a point!” Flim announced. “If we can deliver shows this good…”

“We can afford to double ticket prices!” Flam finished. “Excuse us, Miss Trixie!” The brothers climbed up onstage, conversing with the star of their show.

Twilight turned to Boltsinger as her Cutie Mark started to glow. “Well, it seems our work here is done.” She turned to leave, playfully swishing her tail in the stallion’s muzzle. “It’s been a pleasure working with you!”

Boltsinger let out a goofy grin as he trotted to catch up. “Let’s go home!” He jumped into the air, fluttering for a couple seconds as he hollered in excitement.

Surprise Surprise!

Pinkie Pie bounded through Ponyville, her saddlebags hanging at her sides. She had just gotten the most abso-posi-wonder-riffic news in the history of abso-posi-wonder-riffic news! Twilight was done solving the friendship problem in Las Pegasus, and was coming home! But that’s not the best part!

The best part? She wasn’t coming home alone! She found Boltsinger there, and they were coming back together! So, now, it was time for a big welcome home party! So this party pony’s mission was clear: she needed to throw the best party EVER! Or at least the best party ever so far. Pinkie was certain her next party would be even better.

The time frame wasn’t a very big one, but Pinkie had made great parties in less time, and this time she had info on the ones she was throwing this shindig together for! She had the guest list, which was everypony, she knew what each of the target ponies likes, which let her double up on cake, ice cream, balloons, and games! She was glad they both liked dancing, and was sure to talk to DJ PON-3 about coming by to offer her skills, and she got a shiny new disco ball balanced on the tip of her mane as she proceeded. She bounced into the Castle, where Spike and Starlight were already setting up decorations all over. Pinkie looked on at the venue with a determined giggle, throwing the disco ball into the air and giving it a playful buck. The ball flew through the air, landing perfectly on a hanger that had already been set up. From there, the party pony zoomed around the room, a grand venue quickly took shape.

“So, is Pinkie gonna do what I think she’ll do?” Boltsinger asked as he and Twilight got off the train.

“Of course!” Twilight replied with a laugh. “At least try to act surprised.”

“So, fly into the air and make a huge gust of wind that sends everypony flying into the wall?” The stallion suggested. Twilight stopped in her tracks, looking at her friend like he was insane. “Or just looking excited?”

Twilight chuckled to herself as she trotted back alongside him. “Just look excited. Although there will probably be more than just six ponies waiting this time.”

“Noted.” He said, giving a relaxed nod. His pace slowed, looking at the castle in the distance, then at the castle’s owner.

The Alicorn looked back at the Pegasus. “You okay?”

Boltsinger looked longingly at the crystal castle, taking long, deep breaths. “Just a bit… I dunno how to put it.” He caught up with the mare he walked with. “I’m just a little dumbfounded. Gotta get used to seeing this place again, you know?”

The Princess smiled, offering a wing in comfort. “I think I understand.” She pondered the idea for herself as they walked. “There’s a difference between the idea of coming back, and actually doing it. Although, you were only gone for five days.”

“Five days that felt like forever.” The stallion clarified. “Days sometimes blur together when I fly.” He continued toward the castle. “Plus, well, you know about what I was thinking during that period. It wasn’t pretty.” He took the wing Twilight had extended, breathing deeply as he looked her in the eye. “I’m just glad a friend came along to snap me out of my funk.”

“Sometimes we all need a friend to help us sort out our feelings.” She informed him, leaning in close as they walked.

“Speaking from experience?” Boltsinger wondered.

“Something like that.” Twilight confirmed, thinking about how Cadence had helped her.

Inside the castle, all was dark. Pinkie and the others were waiting excitedly in clever hiding spots. All the decorations are in place, everypony was here, and all the treats were ready. It was perfect. Now she just needed to do the hardest thing ever.

Wait.

Lucky for Pinkie, the waiting wouldn’t be much longer. The door to the castle cracked open, letting out a teensey bit of sunlight. The party pony began to rumble on the inside, her grin covering the entirety of her muzzle. Slowly but surely, the door opened, Twilight and Boltsinger trotting in happily.

“SURPRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISE!!!” Pinkie shouted, jumping prematurely out of her hiding place. She landed on her knees, sliding forward like a dancer on a stage in front of the arriving ponies.

Twilight and Boltsinger were conversing while walking surprisingly close together. They were intently focused on each other, not looking at anything that happened around them. They trotted past Pinkie, who looked back at them quizzicaly. The other ponies in the room came out of their hiding places, following the arrivals through the halls as they proceeded to their rooms of residence. Finally, they stopped, Boltsinger turning to his door.

As he lifted his hoof to the doorknob, something felt off. He could have sworn there were several pairs of eyes focused on him. “Wait a second…” He started, turning to look the way he came.

There stood every friend he had made in Ponyville, all smiling as they looked between him and Twilight. Pinkie jumped over to the front of the gathering, standing on her hind legs and spreading her forelegs wide with confetti and streamers flying every which-way as she did so.

“SURPRISE!!!” The ponies in the crowd yelled, several of them raising a foreleg, and all of them smiling.

Boltsinger’s jaw dropped. He turned back to Twilight, pointing a hoof, alternating between her and the gathering before them. Twilight followed suit, looking at the crowd. She blushed as Rarity shot her a knowing glance.

Boltsinger hung his head, attempting to hide his embarrassment from everypony. “I had a feeling there would be a party…” He looked over at Pinkie. “... Surprise?” He repeated, shrugging with a shy grin.

“You’re telling me!” Pinkie affirmed. “Who’d have thought you’d be so focused on each other that you didn’t see any of the decorations or ponies or cakes or disco balls or any of the other party stuff?” she put her forelegs around Twilight and Boltsinger’s necks, pulling them close. “You two must really like each other!”

The Princess and the Pegasus backed up, red in the face as they sheepishly grinned. Twilight walked over to address the group that stared at them.

“All right, everypony! Let’s party!” She announced, wings playfully flared as she extended a foreleg dramatically.

The crowd cheered and ran to the foyer, where DJ PON-3 started up what Pinkie described as “sick beats”. There were red and white balloons everywhere, and a large section of the floor was treated with dancing ponies in mind. Tables lined the walls, with Apple treats, pear treats, and confections by the Cakes along with enormous bowls of punch. Boltsinger made his way around the room, greeting and thanking all of the ponies that came for showing up. Eventually, he trotted over to Pinkie.

“I really appreciate the party, Pinkie.” He said with a smile. “But… I don’t wanna make a speech. Better to just let everypony enjoy themselves. I’m happy enough to be home.”

Pinkie smiled and brought Boltsinger in for the tightest hug he’d ever felt in his life. He found it fairly hard to breathe. “Aww! You’re welcome!” She loosened her grip slightly. “We’re glad you’re home, too.” She pulled him out onto the dance floor, spinning him rapidly. “Now let’s dance!” She shouted as the stallion’s spinning suddenly stopped. His eyes wobbled a little as he spotted Pinkie dancing like a goofball, Twilight joining in soon after. Boltsinger smiled, turned to DJ PON-3 with a nod, and properly joined in.

After the party had died down, Twilight and Boltsinger found themselves in the hall again. He opened his door, waving as he went in. He sat on the floor, looking around the room.

“Bolt?” Twilight called from the hall. The Pegasus turned back to see her in the doorway. “Can I… talk to you?”

Boltsinger patted the floor next to him with his hoof. Twilight took the cue and placed her rump down next to his. “What’s up?” The stallion inquired.

Twilight took a few moments to compose herself and find her words. “It’s about what happened at the Gala.”

Boltsinger’s ears drooped as he lowered his head. “I see…” he took a look at the window. “I definitely wasn’t expecting to see my brother th--”

“Not about that.” She interrupted. “It’s about…” she closed her eyes and found the words once more. “It’s about what we were talking about before that happened. While we were dancing…?” She clarified, looking at the floor.

Boltsinger’s mouth made a perfect little ‘O’ shape, his face turning red. He looked at the floor as well. “Ah… um… What about it?”

Twilight turned her head, looking at Boltsinger. He looked at her in turn. “Did you… mean what you said?”

Boltsinger let out a heavy sigh. “I-I-I did…” he admitted, averting his gaze. “I was being honest…” He flared his wings, looking at the mare again. “B-b-but you d-don’t have to go anywhere with that! My feelings are just silly. No reason to take them seriously!” He got up and walked to the window, opening it up and leaning on the sill. “I’m just a regular pony, after all…” He looked back at her. “And you… you are a Princess! You could do a whole lot better than somepony like me.”

Twilight stood up, her wings spread. “You’re right. I am a Princess.” She began. Boltsinger let out a sad smile at the proclamation. “The Princess of Friendship.” She took a spot beside the stallion at the window, putting a wing around him. “It’s my job to take everypony’s feelings seriously.” She looked out at the view, deep in thought. “But, I will admit, these kinds of feelings aren’t something I’m too familiar with.” She turned to face him. “Cadence was able to help me sort out a lot of my feelings about it. But I want to respect yours, as well.”

Boltsinger took in the view before him, letting out a heavy breath. “I… I don’t know what my feelings are right now…” He turned to face her. “No matter what, I want us to be friends first.” He placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Beyond that… can you give me some time?”

Twilight offered a warm smile and a nod in response. “Of course.” She said. From there, she leaned forward, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

The stallion stood there, seemingly frozen in place. “Y-yeah…” He nodded at her, closing the window with a flap of the wings. “See you tomorrow…”

Twilight smiled. “Good night!” She waved a wing, walking out the door.

Boltsinger walked to his bed, falling in with a sudden ‘plop’. He lay there on his side, lifting a hoof. “Good night!” He called out, closing his eyes.

Author's Note

I know... short. But I found it meaningful as-is.

Seeking Advice

The afternoon sun rose high above Sweet Apple Acres. The family had finished their lunch, and Big Mac was headed out to deliver a cart of apples to his number one destination. Starlight’s village. He had a goofy grin on his face as he trotted along in anticipation, not even noticing the extra weight that filled the cart.

“Going somewhere?” a familiar baritone voice asked from behind him.

“Eeyup.” the farm stallion replied.

“Important delivery?” the voice continued.

“Eeyup.” came Mac’s typical response.

“Gonna see a friend while you’re there?” came another question.

Big Mac giggled. “Eeyup!”

“Nice. Stallion?” the voice sounded.

“Nnope.” Mac told it.

“Ooh! A mare, huh?” the voice said, sounding intrigued.

“Eeyup!” Mac continued. He began to trot faster as his excitement built.

“From the pace you’re going, I take it she’s a special one?” the voice wondered.

“Oh yeah!” Big Mac confirmed, going from a trot to a canter.

“Nice.” the voice agreed. The extra weight on the cart vanished as a familiar orange pony flew ahead of him. It turned its blue-maned head back to look at Big Mac. “So you know a thing or two about going into relationships with mares, do you?"

Big Mac, recognizing Boltsinger, slowed back to his trot. “Uh, nnope.” He admitted.

“Aww, crabapples…” Boltsinger spouted, kicking a nearby rock with a foreleg as he landed. “And here I thought I’d get some advice.”

“Advice?” Big Mac repeated, taken aback by his friend’s statement. Boltsinger stopped for a second, looking at the red pony with his mouth slightly ajar. “I dunno why you’d want advice on mares, Bolt, considerin’ you got a Princess on yer wing.” Big Mac looked at his orange friend, wondering what was wrong with him. “What? I got sumthin’ on my face? What’s wrong?”

Boltsinger shook his head. “No, it’s fine.” He continued his trot. “Just not used to you being so… wordy, I guess.” He sighed, looking at the road ahead. “And believe me, the situation I find myself in is not quite so fluid.”

“What’re ya gettin’ at?” Mac inquired. “From what AJ says, y’all got sumthin’ special goin’ on between ya. Are you sayin’ ya still haven’t sealed the deal?”

“That I am, Big Mac. That I am.” the Pegasus admitted. “I somewhat know how I feel, and I know she’s willing to listen to me, but… At the same time, there’s still stuff at the back of my mind that... keep me from pushing things along. You know what I’m saying?”

“Eeyup.” Big Mac replied, returning to his typical vocabulary. He looked ahead, seeing the one street that marked the town he was heading for and returning to his goofy grin.

“Ah, are we almost there?” Boltsinger queried.

“Eeyup!” Big Mac’s pace quickened as Boltsinger lifted off of the ground, so as to not get hit in the rear by a cart of apples.

Boltsinger looked happily at his goo-goo eyed friend, following him into town from the air. Big Mac was moving at a gallop by now, coming to a skidding halt in front of a house with a cupcake sign hanging over the door. The Earth Pony stallion quickly unfastened himself from the cart, rushing inside as quick as he could. Boltsinger landed in front of the shop, peeking in the window. It was a fairly simple shop. Grey walls with a faded blue shelf that held a plethora of baked goods. There were cupcakes, muffins, pies, and full-sized cakes all over, many of them featuring some kind of apples. More colorful than that, though, was the Unicorn mare that Big Mac was nuzzling noses with. She had a pink coat and red eyes, with a long and curly purple mane and tail, each featuring two-tone blue beaded hair clips just short of the ends and a Cutie Mark featuring a red cupcake with a blue cup. The two seemed lost in each other’s eyes, Big Mac giggling like a school filly the entire time.

After about five minutes of seeing the two make eyes at one another, Boltsinger stepped into the shop proper. They hardly noticed his approach, hearts seeming to emanate from their very being. That is, until he cleared his throat. Snapping back to reality, Big Mac and his very special friend each let out a yelp, the former of the two jumping slightly and landing with such a hard ‘thud’ that it shook the ground beneath him. They looked at the entrance to the shop, where Boltsinger stood with his hoof raised to his muzzle, hiding a smirk.

“Hey, Big Mac?” the Pegasus began. “You know you’ve got a cart full of apples outside, right?” He motioned a wing out the window, where the apple cart waited for the farm pony to complete his work.

“Uh… Eeyup…” Big Mac scratched his mane sheepishly, running out to bring in several buckets of apples.

“Oh! Excuse me!” the mare said, going behind the counter. “I’ve never seen you here before. Are you a friend of Big Mac’s?” she asked.

“I am. My name is Boltsinger.” the stallion replied. "I’ve been helping out at Sweet Apple Acres for a while since moving to Ponyville. Partially for the bits, but also because the food is amazing.”

The Unicorn giggled to herself. “They do have the best apples in all of Equestria.” She offered a friendly hoof. “My name is Sugar Belle!” Boltsinger grasped her hoof with his wing, giving a hearty shake. “It’s nice to meet somepony else who appreciates a good Apple.”

“From what I gather, there’s more than one kind of ‘Apple’ in your eye.” Boltsinger teased. Sugar Belle blushed at the comment. “I thought he was gonna be able to give me advice on… well… relationships… today, considering he was able to woo somepony like you. But, that went nowhere fast.”

“Oh? You’ve got somepony special in mind?” the baker wondered, leaning forward on the counter. “Who is it?”

“Princess Twilight.” Big Mac blurted out as he brought in another bucket of apples. “But AJ says Twilight’s already got feelin’s for ‘im. Personally, I think he’s just bein’ stubborn ‘bout the whole thing.”

“I’d argue that your sister was just gossiping,” the orange-coated stallion started. “but this is Applejack we’re talking about.”

“Eeyup.” Big Mac said, nodding firmly.

“I won’t believe it until I hear it from her, though.” Boltsinger concluded.

Big Mac let out a mighty groan and facehoofed.

Sugar Belle walked over to Big Mac, tenderly placing a hoof on his shoulder. “It’s okay, Big Mac.” She turned to face the winged pony. “Do you know how Big Mac and I ended up together?” she asked him. Boltsinger simply shook his head. Sugar Belle looked at her special somepony fondly. “I’d liked Big Mac for a while already, but eventually, his younger sister and her filly friends followed him into town. They had him do so many embarrassing things to try and tell me how he felt, all while Featherbangs was trying to sweet-talk me!” The Unicorn giggled at the memory. “Why, those two even got into a goofy little singing contest just to try and win me over!” She looked over at the large display of baked goods. “In the end, though, Big Mac threw his stubbornness and silliness aside, and showed just how much he cared by doing something he knew I would appreciate.” She placed a hoof on the side of Big Mac’s muzzle. “By being his sweet self, he won me over completely!” The two giggled, nuzzling noses once more. After a second or two, she turned to Boltsinger. “Don’t worry so much about how to approach Twilight about this. She’s one of the most approachable ponies I’ve ever met!”

Boltsinger smiled at the happy couple. Their story was on the inspiring side for him. “Thank you, Sugar Belle.” He said, bowing his head. “I know full well how approachable Twilight is.” He looked aside with a tinge of red appearing on his cheek. “I guess I just need to make sure that… that I’m ready for it.” His wings flared up as he turned to leave. “Thank you for the advice, truly. I’m gonna leave you two to your… ‘activities’. I’ll see you later, Big Mac!” With that, he flew off, away from the small town. Big Mac smiled and took a look over at Sugar Belle, only to let out an irritated groan when the bell sounded to signal a new customer.

The flight back to Ponyville was a pleasant one. Boltsinger wanted to explore the village some more, but it was just the one street. Not much to really explore. So, he opted to head back home. Perhaps a good book might help him settle this part of his mind. Thanks to his training from Rainbow Dash, the flight itself didn’t take very long. The castle itself came quickly into view, and the smiling stallion made a beeline for the structure.

Landing on the balcony, he walked into the building, taking a decisive breath. “I have returned!” He belted out, his voice carrying through the castle. He heard sounds of greeting from the present ponies as Spike walked by, waving a claw. Boltsinger nodded and went to the library, opening the doors and taking wing. All right, what am I reading today? He pondered, looking in various sections. He pawed his way through the romance section, seeing something that piqued his interest. He pulled the book out, taking a hard look at the cover. It looked fairly generic, having an image of a gorgeous mare looking into the sky, pining, with the image of a handsome stallion in the sky above, long, blond mane blowing unrealistically in the wind. He gave a sappy sigh, getting ready to put the book back as the library doors swung open.

“BOLTSINGER!” Starlight called from the doorway. Boltsinger’s eyebrows rose as he let out a high-pitched neigh. He scrambled to keep the book in his hooves for a half-second as his wings snapped to his sides. He and the book fell to the floor unceremoniously, the impact of the fall causing a number of additional books to fall on top of him. Starlight trotted over to him, a sour look on her face. “Twilight told me what happened after the party last night!”

“Sh-she did?!” the stallion asked, shuddering on his back as Starlight stood over him.

“She did.” she confirmed, leaning in close. “You had the perfect opportunity to make a move! Why didn’t you?”

Boltsinger looked at the stern face Starlight made, his own expression easing out of its fear. He sat up, moving his head past hers and letting out a breath of relief. “Ah… That. I thought it was something more dire than that.”

Starlight raised an eyebrow, turning to face the Pegasus. “What do you mean by that? You could have taken a major step!” she sat next to him. “Don’t you want that?”

“She explained it to you in detail, right?” he started. Starlight gave a nod in confirmation. “Then you know what I’m getting at here. And it’s just like things are with you and Sunburst.”

Starlight tensed, backing up into the book pile. “I don’t know what you’re talking about! Sunburst and I are just friends! That’s all we need to be! It’s nothing like your situation!”

Boltsinger gave her a deadpan look. “Except the part where you value the friendship that helped you change your life and better yourself to the point where, even in spite of yourself, you want to do everything you can to keep things the same so that you don’t ever have to risk losing that friend just for the sake of maybe being a little happier?” He got up and resumed his search for reading material. “Plus the events of your past have affected your psyche to the point where you doubt your own worth in the eyes of other ponies and are willing to go without a special somepony so as not to burden the pony in question?”

Starlight’s jaw dropped, pupils tiny and ears low. She would never admit it outright, but he was pretty spot-on. She knew full well how she felt about her oldest friend, but she wasn’t ready to try and move forward. It would mean a complete change in how they saw each other. “I… uh… You…!” She shook her head, returning to normal and pointing a hoof at the stallion. “You’re good.” She moved to sit in one of the more cushioned chairs in the room. “Tell you what. You make a move towards Twilight, and I’ll make a move towards Sunburst.” She held out a hoof as the Pegasus fluttered to the nearest chair with his book. “Deal?”

Boltsinger looked at Starlight. Her stern face was back on in full force, save for some upturned lips to soften things up. “All right, deal.” He agreed, giving her a solid hoof-bump. He turned to his book, opening it to the first page as Starlight got up.

“So, then… How do we get you feeling like you’re not gonna be a burden on her?” She said, raising a hoof to her face. Boltsinger looked up from his volume, cocking an eyebrow. “You’ve gotta work through that eventually, right? May as well start now.”

So much for reading today… he thought, putting his book down and walking up to Starlight. “If it makes you feel any better, I was thinking about maybe saying something to her soon. I asked Big Mac for advice on it earlier today.”

“How soon?” the Unicorn inquired. “Like, a few days? A week, maybe?”

“Maybe a month or two is more like it.” he answered. “I did ask her to give me some time, after all.”

Starlight hung her head. “That’s a long time to keep a girl waiting... “ She told him. “What do you plan to do in the meantime?”

“That’s a good question.” he replied, hanging his head. “My feelings are certain, but… I still have a lot to sort through.”

Starlight walked back to the doorway. “Okay, then. But don’t wait too long. She won’t wait forever, you know.”

“Yeah…” Boltsinger walked out into the hallway. “I know…” He walked onward, twitching his tail uncertainly.

“Am I gonna have to contact Cadence again?” Starlight asked no one in particular. She let out a low growl, trotting off to her room.

The next day was tutor time. Twilight had everything set up for a good tutoring session. Chalkboard, chalk, all the right textbooks, even a desk for her student to sit at. It was all ready, and she was excited to get back into it! All she needed now was her student. Her horn lit up, beginning the teleportation spell as the doorbell rang.

“Oh! I wonder who that could be?” She pondered out loud, changing the target location of her spell and vanishing in a flash of magenta light.

At the front door, the Princess materialized, happily opening the door with her magic.

There stood her B.B.B.F.F., Shining Armor. He had a tiny Alicorn on his back, with all the bags that came with bringing the baby along. “Surprise!” He exclaimed, Flurry Heart standing on her father’s head and letting out her closest approximation to the word.

Twilight reared up excitedly, laughing and hugging the white Unicorn. “Shining Armor! Flurry! What are you doing here?”

Shining Armor accepted the hug instantly. “I just thought I’d come and see how you were doing. Cadence told me about her last time here.” He magically lifted his little filly, floating her in front of his sister. “Plus, it’s been a while since Flurry saw her favorite aunt!” Released from her daddy’s magic, Flurry flew over onto Twilight’s back, giving her a hug from behind and letting out an excited laugh.

Twilight giggled and hugged her neice. “Well, I was able to figure out what I needed to. Plus, Boltsinger is back, now!” She took Flurry Heart with her foreleg and passed her back to her brother. “Actually, we’re just about to start his tutoring for today, if you don’t mind waiting until we’re done.”

“That’s good.” Shining Armor said, giving a nod. “Honestly, I wouldn’t mind sitting in on your little class. I’d like to see you in action!”

“What about Flurry Heart?” Twilight inquired. “I don’t think she could sit still through a full class.”

“THAT’S WHERE I COME IN!” A familiar squeaky high voice sounded, giggling like a school filly. From behind one of the pillars in the foyer, Pinkie Pie appeared, bounding up to Flurry Heart and latching onto her with her forelegs. Flurry got a look at Pinkie and giggled, giving her as big of a hug as she could. “Hi, Twilight!” the party pony greeted, turning to Flurry and growling like a bear. Flurry laughed and flew off, Pinkie speeding off after her.

Twilight waved at her hilarious friend as she zoomed off. “Well, I guess that’s taken care of.” She turned her attention back to her brother, who was bringing in all of Flurry’s necessities. “Well, let’s go find my student, then!”

Later, in the library once more, Boltsinger flew into the room. He found the desk that his tutor had set up for him and took a seat. As soon as his hooves hit the desk, a bright magenta flash shone in front of the blackboard, Twilight Sparkle appearing from within with a smile.

“All right, student! It’s time to begin today’s lessons!” She proclaimed, holding her head high with her eyes closed. “Today, we’ll be having a special guest sitting in! My Big Brother Best Friend Forever, Shining Armor!” She pointed a hoof at the doorway, where a magical field closed the door. Shining Armor was sitting in a chair by the door, his horn glowing and his muzzle showing a rather amused expression. “This will, in no way, interfere with your lesson, though. He’s just visiting.”

Boltsinger looked back at the smiling stallion, waving a wing in greeting before turning back to see Twilight. She was already floating a piece of chalk next to her head. “All right. I’m ready!”

Twilight’s lesson was fast-paced, covering a variety of subjects from history to math, as well as general magical and scientific principles. Boltsinger took notes as rapidly as possible with the quill he kept clenched in his teeth, occasionally raising a hoof to ask her to elaborate. Shining Armor looked at his sister in her element with awe, and found it surprising that Boltsinger had actually opted in for this genius-level course. After four hours of nonstop learning, Twilight began erasing everything she had written on the blackboard, walking up to her student with a pleased look on her face.

“You kept up pretty well, today, Bolt.” She informed him, taking a look at his notes. “If you need any help understanding this later, you know where to find me.”

Boltsinger nodded, his mind in just a little bit of a jumble from the onslaught of information. “Okay. Thanks, Twilight.” He looked at her fondly, then let his head fall onto the desk.

Twilight placed a hoof on the orange pony’s back, stroking it gently a couple times before moving on to meet up with her brother. “He did better than he normally does. I think he missed the learning when he was gone!” She happily trotted out of the room, turning towards the sound of a foal’s laughter.

Shining Armor lingered a bit, watching his sister canter off. Once she was out of sight, he walked over to the student he just bore witness to. “You did well.” He said, sitting next to the desk.

“Thanks…” Boltsinger replied, sitting up. “I did kinda sign up for this. And it makes her happy to teach me. I have to do my best in order to live up to it.”

“Yeah, but there are things you’ll never be able to do mixed in with all of that!” the Unicorn told him. “Why do you want to learn principles of magic?”

“Just because I can’t do it, doesn’t mean I can’t have some level of understanding.” Boltsinger explained. “You never know when my wings will take me somewhere that somepony will have a magical issue that falls under my usual criteria.” He got off the stool, stretching his legs and wings with a groan. “The wider my skill set, the more ponies I can help. Right?”

Shining Armor contemplated the comment for a moment. “I… guess you have a point. You really put a lot of thought into this, haven’t you?”

“I guess so.” the orange pony answered. “So, what brings you to Ponyville?” He turned to walk to the hall.

“I wanted to check up on my sister.” Shining Armor said, walking alongside the Pegasus. “Cadence came by a while back when Twilight was in a bit of a funk. Something about some stallion making her cry at the Grand Galloping Gala.” Boltsinger retreated into himself slightly as Shining Armor put a hoof around him. “You know anything about that?”

“Um… Technically… I wasn’t there by the time that happened.” He corrected. “Wait… She cried?” Shining Armor frowned and nodded. Boltsinger hung his head, remembering how when she called out to him in Las Pegasus, she had tears in her eyes. He wasn’t sure of it at the time, thanks to sleep deprivation, but now that he was in his right mind, he was sure of it. “Well… I didn’t mean to. I was in a bit of a funk, myself, at the time.”

“Well, you just be careful with her.” Shining Armor began, retreating his hoof. “If she gets heartbroken, it’s not just me you’ll have to deal with.”

Boltsinger stopped walking, sitting on the floor and coiling his tail around himself. “Wow…” Shining Armor stopped in kind, turning to look at Boltsinger, who looked him squarely in the eye. “You know, I have to say I really envy everypony.”

Shining Armor cocked an eyebrow, walking up to the pony before him again. “Envy? What do you mean, envy?”

“It’s a bit complicated.” Boltsinger said, standing up and continuing on. “But, you know, I think I have a bit of a better idea on how to make sense of it, myself. Thanks, Shining Armor.” He spread his wings and took off down the hall, following the sounds of laughter.

Shining Armor looked at the speeding stallion, tilting his head in confusion. “You’re welcome, I guess…” He perked up, galloping after him so as to join his family.

Family

“Twilight?” Boltsinger started, looking away from his book and at the Alicorn as she observed her subject. “I know you’re doing research on it, but… You’ve been staring at it for three hours. It gets just a little bit weird when you look so… intently.”

Twilight looked on at the object of her research, a puzzled look on her face. “Just… five more minutes…” She said, floating her quill and parchment next to her.

The door to the library opened, Starlight standing in the doorframe. “Twilight, Bolt, dinner is--WHOA!” Starlight reared up, stepping back as she looked on at the scene that unfolded before her.

Boltsinger was reading a book. Nothing all that strange. He looked at Starlight, shaking his head as Twilight stared intensely at his Cutie Mark. She had yet to notice the arrival of the Unicorn.

“WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!” Starlight asked, utterly horrified.

Boltsinger facehoofed. “She’s doing research...” He tapped Twilight on the head with a foreleg, covering his Cutie Mark with his tail. “Twilight? You there?”

“Huh? What?” Twilight asked, looking up from her observations to see a freaked out Starlight in the doorway. She let out a surprised scream, jumping to her hooves and releasing her telekinesis. “Starlight! What are you doing here?!”

Boltsinger got up from his chair, swishing his tail across Twilight’s muzzle and walking towards the hall. “Come on, teacher. It’s time for dinner.”

Twilight walked up to Starlight, both mares looking at the stallion as he made his way. Starlight looked at her mentor. “Were you really doing research?”

Twilight brought her head back, lowering her ears as her face flushed with a nervous laugh. “Yes, I was.”

Starlight looked at Twilight the same way Twilight had looked at her research subject. “Are you sure?”

Twilight took a look at the Pegasus walking away, catching glimpses of his Cutie Mark with every step of his hind legs. “I’m sure. Now, if you’ll excuse me!” She cantered over to Boltsinger, walking with him to the dining room.

“So, Twilight, I’ve been thinking on something as of late.” Boltsinger said, turning to the Princess as they made their way. "Something… important. At least to me.”

“Oh? What’s on your mind?” Twilight asked.

“It’s not something that I can just… blurt out.” he explained. “It’s been on my mind ever since your brother came by.” The two made a turn towards the dining room. “So, I want to kinda prepare myself and tell everyone at once. Could I talk to everypony tomorrow?”

“Sure. Just let me know what time you think is best.” she answered with a nod, the ponies sitting at the table as Spike brought dinner forward.

There, in his bedroom, Boltsinger looked out his window. Twilight’s friends were going to be gathering with her in the throne room, all waiting for him. He felt pangs of nervousness, but mostly he was thinking about just how to say this… He knew it was time for him to crack open one more chapter of the already-open book that he was. They deserved to know.

Starlight opened the door, looking at the stallion at the window. “They’re here. Are you ready?”

Boltsinger chuckled to himself, closing the window. “As ready as I can be.” He trotted over to Starlight. “Thanks for helping with the execution. I know it’s not the easiest spell.”

“It’s no problem. I enjoy a good challenge!” Starlight replied, walking with the orange pony to the throne room.

Coming through the front door, Starlight moved over to a spot next to Twilight, while Boltsinger simply stood. He looked around at the ponies before him, their attention all on him.

“Well, we’re here.” Twilight started, beckoning him forward. “What is it you have to tell everypony?”

Boltsinger took a deep breath, walking over to the map and placing a hoof on it. “Before that, I feel like I owe all of you an explanation.” He turned to Starlight. “Starlight has agreed to help me with that. It’s a bit of a long story, and I feel like it’s better that I show you instead of trying to put it into words.”

Starlight stepped forward, taking a position in front of Boltsinger. She took a stance and lowered her head. “I’m ready when you are.”

The stallion flapped his wings, taking to the air and hovering in place. “I’m ready. Go ahead.”

Starlight nodded, her horn flaring to life with magical energy swirling around it. After a few seconds of intense focus, a blast of magic flew towards Boltsinger, and the room was enveloped by an expanding field.

Twilight, Starlight, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Spike found themselves standing on a street in the town of Vanhoover, where a number of Earth Ponies were going about their day.

“Ooh! We’ve teleported to Vanhoover!” Pinkie shouted, running over to one of the passing ponies and reaching out a hoof. “Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie! Nice to meet you!” The pony continued walking, phasing through her. Pinkie shivered, her entire body tingling.

“No, Pinkie, you haven’t teleported anywhere.” Boltsinger’s voice sounded from no particular place. “I asked Starlight to perform a memory conveyance spell so that I can show you what I need to. You’re seeing Vanhoover from when I was a colt.”

“A memory conveyance spell? Like the one Cadence used?” Twilight wondered, turning to Starlight. “That normally just creates an image in front of us. What’s all this?”

Starlight smiled, a cocky look in her eyes. “I may have mixed it with a full illusion spell and a few others.”

“Wow! That is impressive!” Twilight shouted, giving her student a hug. She wiped away a tear of pride. “So… proud!”

As the two mares separated, an orange pegasus colt with a two-tone blue mane and tail and purple eyes walked through the group, his flank noticeably blank. The group of ponies and their dragon friend looked on at the familiar colt as he trotted along, occasionally hopping with a flutter of his wings as his head bobbed from side to side to a song he hummed to himself.

Rarity’s eyes lit up as she saw the little colt. She ran up to follow it along, the others following suit behind. “Oh my goodness… Boltsinger, is this adorable little colt you?” She brought her head next to the young pony’s, looking happily at his bright eyes.

“Yes, Rarity, that’s me.” Boltsinger’s voice confirmed. “And right now, I’m on my way home from school. What I want to show you here is a little bit of what my brother, Brightling, was like back then.” With that, a bright yellow Pegasus colt with a dark brown mane and tail trotted up next to the young Boltsinger. On his flank was a brilliantly lit light bulb, and on his muzzle was a smile.

“Hey, little brother.” the yellow Pegasus greeted, balling up the wing closest to his brother into a fist and hitting him lightly on the side. “You ready for cloud-busting?”

The young Boltsinger winced slightly at the impact, but kept smiling as he jumped into the air, hovering in pace with his brother. “I’ll give it my best, Brightling!” He landed shortly after, stretching his wings with a gesture that moved each individual feather independently of one another.

Brightling sighed, tussling his brother’s mane with a wing. “If you can’t get all the way up there today, that’s all right. We’ve done it plenty of times already. I just want you to build those flappers up so you can take my place up there!”

Boltsinger smiled at Brightling, giving a thumbs-up motion with the wing closest to the older pony. “I get better every day! Don’t worry about it!”

Rainbow Dash flew above the young ponies, looking at Brightling curiously. “Why does he want you to take his place up in the air?” She asked, twisting in the sky. “Flying is awesome!”

“Well, Brightling always had a fear of heights.” Boltsinger’s voice informed her. “But, before my wings were strong enough for me to actually fly, he had to take care of all of the flying chores, and help out with cloud-busting when our parents couldn’t handle it.” The scene shifted to a house in a residential district, where Brightling took off into the air with a terrified look on his face. “You see, at the time, my family was pretty much the entire Pegasus population of Vanhoover. Other than that, it was mostly Earth Ponies, with the occasional Unicorn. And being the only Pegasi, that meant we were the primary weather-providers. We had to take care of the basic work in the skies.” Brightling flew through the air above the town with two older Pegasi, using bursts of wind to break apart the clouds over the town while a young Boltsinger looked up at the goings on from the front door. “Weather work is the whole reason my parents moved to Vanhoover. They had me shortly after they got there.”

“That’s a pretty huge responsibility.” Rainbow Dash commented.

“I’m impressed that your brother was able to do all that work if it was so scary for him.” Fluttershy added. “If it were me, I don’t think I would be able to do it.”

“He always countered his fear by trying to streamline things. That light bulb on his flank stemmed from a desire to make ponies’ lives easier through innovation.” Boltsinger continued. “That little trick they’re using to bust several clouds with gusts of wind, that came from him. It’s what got him his Cutie Mark. But…” Brightling landed next to the young Boltsinger, shaking off the water from the clouds to spray all over him and walking inside. He looked back on his younger brother with a scowl of resent. “He really hated that I was mostly exempt from responsibility while I was still learning. He had to look after me, and he had to do chores that scared the living daylights out of him. It… wasn’t pretty.”

The image changed, showing Boltsinger and Brightling walking down the road once more. Before long, they were joined by the Unicorn that was with Brightling at the Gala, who shoved herself between the brothers.

“And that, my friends, is Dimming Sparks.” Boltsinger said. Twilight took a look at the Unicorn, trying to make sense of what she saw. Her eyes lacked the kind of luster that she was used to seeing from most ponies. There wasn’t a loneliness in her, but more of an emptiness. She wasn’t downright evil, but there was something… off about her. “Like all ponies, she has a special talent that she calls her own. She has a talent for influence. Through means magical or otherwise, I’ve seen her manipulate ponies in her favor by getting ideas into their heads. Brightling, of course, is a prime example of that, considering how smitten he was with her.” Brightling and Sparks conversed endlessly as they walked, Sparks occasionally bumping hard into Boltsinger. “She was never my biggest fan.”

Sparks turned to Brightling, nuzzling up against his neck. “I don’t know why you drag that brother of yours around everywhere.”

“He’s not going to become a stronger flyer by sitting around the house, Sparks.” Brightling informed her.

The young Boltsinger jumped into the air, matching pace with the two ponies with his wings, flying alongside them. “I can fly for a lot longer, now, at least! And I’ve even gotten to the point where I can help out a bit with the cloud-busting!” He landed next to them, whipping up a little bit of wind in front of him for emphasis. “And creating wind is really fun! I use it to clear out all the fog in town!”

Brightling smiled at his sibling. “You’ve definitely improved, Bolt. But I’d still like to see you get up in the sky.”

Boltsinger fluttered up again, landing on his brother’s back. “Don’t worry, Brightling, I’ll save you from that scary sky!”

“Please…” Sparks interjected. “You come up with all of these auxiliary plans, making everypony’s job easier.” She looked up at Boltsinger, her horn glowing in its telltale green. “Helping him is just a side job to you. You know full well that he’s not worth the effort…”

A flash of green shone in the young colt’s eyes, causing him to freeze in place, a blank exspression appearing as he fell off of his brother’s back, laying on his side.

Brightling stopped, turning around to check on his brother. “Hey, Bolt, are you alright?”

The little pony sat up, shaking his head and fluttering back up. “I-I-I’m… okay, yeah.” He looked at his big brother, confused. “What were we talking about again?”

“You were just going home, Boltsinger.” Sparks suggested, turning her nose up. “You didn’t want to get in the way of Brightling’s time with me.”

“Ah…” the colt said. “That… That makes sense, yeah.” He waved a wing at the two older ponies, turning to go back home whilst hanging his head.

Twilight looked at the sad little colt walking away, then turned her attention back to Sparks. “Wait, she used that talent of hers on you, too?”

“Hmm… Did she? Back then I just thought she was letting loose a little magical energy.” Boltsinger pondered. “Then again, I wouldn’t put it past her. She was never the friendliest pony.”

The scene changed once more, showing Boltsinger and Brightling in the air with a larger yellow stallion and orange mare flying with them. The mare had the same kind of brown hair as Brightling, while the stallion bore Boltsinger’s darker blue hue in his mane. The stallion’s Cutie Mark consisted of three swirly clouds, while the mare had a blowing gust. It was clear that they were professional weather-ponies. They were moving with several weather workers from Cloudsdale, getting many things in place for a storm.

“I bet you can’t guess what day this is.” Boltsinger joked. The group looked down, noting that they were standing in thin air above Boltsinger’s childhood home. “This is when it all went down.”

“All right, Bolt, the wind is gonna get a little too rough for you tonight, so I want you to get to the ground right away.” his father ordered, putting a hoof on his son’s shoulder. “If you want, you can keep watch.” Boltsinger nodded reluctantly, making a dive for the front porch as the stallion turned to the other colt. “Now, Brightling, I know it’s scary, but I’m gonna need you up here. The ponies from Cloudsdale are here to help, but they’re spread all over town.” He hugged his older son. “After this, I promise, I will never ask you to do weather work again… I swear!”

Brightling returned the embrace, shuddering. “All right, Dad. One more job.”

The Pegasi put the last clouds in place, and then each gave a swift buck, starting a downpour that fell upon the entire town. The scene sped up, showing the passage of about twenty minutes, to the point where a lightning bolt struck nearby, hailstones taking the place of several raindrops as the wind picked up.

“You all know what happens here…” The older Boltsinger somberly told the group.

From a cloud above, a hailstone appeared, consuming the cloud it came from. It fell rapidly, building up momentum and bouncing off of the ground. The young Boltsinger kept his eyes glued to it as it bounced high. As it rose up, he looked between it and his airborne family. He called out as loud as his voice could carry. From next to the colt, he was clearly audible, but his family and some other gathering weather-ponies didn’t even look his way. The colt fell into a panic, flapping his wings frantically. He lifted himself up off of the ground, only to fall flat on his face. Getting up, he looked back at the hailstone, and then at his family once more, an electric spark appearing in his eyes.

He got up on his hind legs, spreading his little wings as wide as he could, then flapped them so hard the rain around him paused. “WATCH OUT!!!” he yelled into the void, the sound and wind cutting through the storm and enveloping the flying ponies, who all looked at the terrified colt. He pointed with his foreleg, diverting their attention to see a hailstone like they had never seen coming up at them. The ponies all flew out of the way, Brightling getting nicked in a back hoof as they did so. Seeing his family safe, Boltsinger smiled, eyebrows raised and eyes wide. He fell back onto all fours, a satisfied grin on his muzzle.

“And then…” the voice of the colt in question sounded. In that moment, his younger self began to float in the air, his flank shining. The air above him started to become charged with electricity, and in that instant, there was a bright blue flash, and everything went black.

The group bearing witness to the events all shrieked as everything went dark. Twilight lit up her horn, while Starlight poked her head up.

“What just happened?” Starlight asked.

“That’s where I passed out.” Boltsinger told her, descending from above as the room returned to normal. “From there, I woke up, and my first ‘flight’ happened. As you know, my family all went to the hospital. I landed in Ponyville three days later, and after I helped a filly get her Cutie Mark, I headed back home. That’s how I learned what they all thought of me.” He sat his rump on the floor, leaning against the map. “I never saw my family after that, until that night at the Gala. And now it’s clear that Brightling’s resentment towards me turned into straight-up hatred.” He sighed. “And that leads me to the thing I wanted to tell you all…” He looked around the room at everyone with him. “I really envy all of you.” The ponies all looked back and forth between one another and Boltsinger, looking befuddled.

“Whaddaya mean, ‘envy’?” Applejack inquired.

“It’s a good kind of envy, don’t worry.” Boltsinger informed her. “You see, I realized something, talking with Big Mac, Shining Armor, everypony... “ He stood up and looked at the chandelier hanging above them, admiring the ornaments containing all of the happy memories. “You all have such wonderful relationships with your families. Those of you with brothers have their unflinching support just because they’re family. Not an ulterior motive in sight!” He looked at his own reflection in the floor, frowning and stomping on it. “My brother just wanted me to replace him in the sky, and during all that time that I couldn’t, he couldn’t stand me…” He turned to face the group again. “Now, I don’t even have a family… Or, at least, that’s what I thought.” He looked at each and every pony and dragon in the room with him, his smile growing wider as he laid eyes on each, finally landing on Twilight. “I don’t have a family of ‘relatives’, that’s true… But, I do have my chosen family.” He flared his wings excitedly. “All of you! If you’ll have me, that is...”

Applejack was the first to speak up, removing her hat and putting it up against her chest.“I dunno what to say, Bolt… But…” She put her hat back on, wiping away a tear. “Thank you, kindly! An’ welcome to the family!” Rarity smiled and nodded softly, her mascara running from the budding tears. Fluttershy repeated Applejack’s gesture, walking up closer while wiping away a stray tear. They looked over at Rainbow Dash, who was hovering above them, sniffling, but keeping her forelegs crossed. “Now, c’mon, Rainbows. We all know what yer thinkin’.”

Rainbow Dash sighed, landing next to Applejack with a loud groan. “Oh, all right! That was really sweet… And… Yeah, I’ll accept you!”

Pinkie could hardly contain herself. The waterworks began as she gave Boltsinger the hug of his life. “Oh, Bolt! I’d be honored to be your big sister!”

Boltsinger choked a little bit as the party pony pinched his neck. “Pinkie… I’m a year older than you.”

Starlight pulled the crying Pinkie off of the Pegasus. “I don’t have much contact with my relatives, either.” she told him. “But these ponies all became a part of my family as well. Of course I’ll have you.”

Boltsinger smiled deeply, looking at the happy mares around him. “Thank you… It’s… actually a pretty big weight off of my wings…” He looked over at Twilight, who was looking back fondly. “How about you?”

Twilight remained silent. She walked over to Boltsinger and placed a hoof on his shoulder, closing her eyes and leaning her head close to his. “It goes without saying, doesn’t it?”

Boltsinger laughed, leaning his head up against Twilight’s. “That’s true for just about everything between us, isn’t it?” He leaned in, wrapping his forelegs around her and pushing his nose against hers. “But there’s still a few things I wanna tell you later, okay?”

Twilight’s face turned bright red at the sudden nose-on-nose contact, her eyes opening wide. She looked into his eyes, seeing a spark in them, then grabbed him in a full embrace. “Okay.”

“Aha! I was right!” Rarity yelled. A feeling of shattering glass was felt by everyone in the room as they looked at the excited Unicorn. She was hyperventilating as she pointed at Twilight and Boltsinger. “I knew this would happen!”

The embracing ponies backed off from their hug, faces red as the stallion scratched his mane with his wing.

Applejack laughed. “Rarity, I think we all knew about this.” She pointed a hoof at the Princess. “‘Cept for Twilight, that is.”

Twilight’s pupils shrank as she shook her head. “What?! No, I knew what was going on from… the… beginning?” She looked hopefully between her friends. Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Starlight all had smug looks on their faces. Twilight shrank into herself some more. “Okay! I didn’t catch on until Cadence came over and showed me her memories of asking all of you about him!” The smug-faced ponies all laughed.

Fluttershy smiled and sat next to Twilight. “Well, if it helps, I didn’t know what was happening at all!”

Pinkie shrugged. “Eh, I found out at the welcome home party.”

Spike looked over at the two ponies, seeing Twilight looking at Boltsinger in the way he recognized as the way he looked at Rarity. He scoffed to himself, crossing his arms and walking out of the room.

That night, Boltsinger sat on the floor in the throne room. He was once again admiring the precious chandelier that hung over the map while he thought back on the day he’d just had. It was the first time that he’d told anypony anything about his brother, even if they did already have a semblance of info. Nopony had ever been so willing to take time for him like those he had become acquainted with since he crashed into that wall in Canterlot. Most importantly, nopony had ever looked at him the way Twilight had. Or come after him. Or cried for him. His life was remarkably different from how he expected it to go, and he was okay with that.

The sound of the door opening pulled him from his thoughts, and he turned his head to see Twilight entering the room and coming to sit next to him.

“Hi, Twilight.” He greeted, looking back up at the roots. The two of them sat together for a while in silence, appreciating one another’s company. After about five minutes, the stallion spoke up. “You know, this reminds me of that night all those moons ago.”

Twilight turned to look at him. “Which night are you talking about?”

“The one where I realized that I was finally ‘home’.” He turned his gaze towards her. “Greediest night of my life, I think. I was lost in my own mind for a while, and you took those beautiful wings of yours and…” He slapped his muzzle with his wings. “Did that.”

“Oh yeah!” Twilight replied, remembering the events in question. “I’m glad it worked. Even if it did lead to you breaking down the way you did.”

“Oh, I needed that cry.” the Pegasus told her. “I needed to open up. And you were the first one to get me to do that.” He smiled warmly. “I think that was when these feelings of mine started showing up.” He turned his head away and scratched his mane. “Sorry… I know I asked for time… I was gonna take more, but… I think I know for sure what’s going on in this heart of mine now.”

Twilight blushed, not once turning her eyes away from him. “All right, I’m ready for it. Tell me your feelings.”

Boltsinger felt a wave of warmth build up in his chest. His heart was beating at a mile a minute as he looked back into the bewitching eyes of the Princess of Friendship. “The thing is… Everypony else says it’s a ‘crush’, but I’m not so certain that’s the word I would use.” He brought a foreleg and a wing over his heart. “Your presence has this way of making me… well… content.” He gave a warm, yet nervous smile. “I love you, Twilight. Everything about you. I love talking with you, helping ponies with you, reading with you, just… Everything.” He sighed, turning his attention to the floor. “But I know that you have really big responsibilities. You’re a Princess, which means you have duties to fulfill. I can’t expect you to prioritize me over the needs of Equestria. No one pony should ever be so important to somepony as important as--”

Boltsinger found himself cut off. His mouth had suddenly become occupied, as another mouth had pressed itself against his. Twilight had lunged forward, kissing him with all of her might. Her forelegs were wrapped around his head, with her wings cradling him at the same time. His surprise lasted only a moment, though, as he soon closed his eyes and leaned into it, bringing his forelegs and wings forward to complete the embrace. Several moments later, the two separated, faces appearing the same color as the ripest of apples.

“So…” Twilight started, pawing the back of her head with a foreleg. “I’ve heard your feelings, and taken them seriously…” She looked at him directly as the blush left her face. “And… I love you, too.”

Author's Note

This chapter was... difficult for me. Emotionally. I've been basing most of my OC's off of myself and others, and Boltsinger's relationship with Brightling is... Not all that different from my own relationship with my own brother. Only it's just one of our parents that's passed away.
Anyway, from here on out, you'll be getting chapters as I write them. This story is still occupying large portions of my mind, so it's not ending anytime soon.

Guy Talk

Spike found himself wandering through the castle, hearing the sounds of laughter echoing through the place. He searched for the source, but it eluded him.

“Twilight?” He called. “Starlight? Anyone?” He continued walking, the hall having no end in sight. He broke into a run, concerned about the laughter of Twilight and the others coming from all over. “Twilight, where are you?!”

He ran for several minutes, seeing the laughing faces of all of his friends in the windows. Coming to a large door, the laughter was at its loudest. He opened the door to see Twilight and her friends all gathered in the throne room, laughing with each other. Spike jumped for joy, running over to his seat next to Twilight, but as he reached for it, a spark of electricity repelled him. He yelped in pain, backing off as the laughter stopped.

“Oh, it’s you.” Twilight said, all of the mares looking at him with disdain. “What are you still doing here?”

Spike’s eyes grew wide as he jumped back. “What do you mean? I live here! You all need me!”

Rarity raised a hoof to her mouth and gave an obnoxious laugh. “Oh, that’s just too funny! Why would you ever think we needed you?”

Spike sat on the floor, holding his tail in his claws. “Because… I’m your number one assistant… your favorite dragon… All of that!” He looked back at Twilight, pleading. “You’re not… sending me away, are you?”

“Wow, he’s smarter than he looks!” Twilight confirmed, looking angrily at Spike. “You don’t need to stick around, anymore! We have someone better, now!”

Spike rose to his feet, raising a fist. “Who could possibly be better than me?! Who could you love so much that you wouldn’t have any room for me anymore?!”

“ME!!!” A booming male voice sounded. A ball of electricity formed above the map, surging into a dark orange pony with bat-like wings and fangs, his blue mane and tail crackling like lightning, and more thunderbolts erupting from the rest of his body. “Nopony needs you when they have somepony as ELECTRIFYING as I am!!!” He reared up on his hind legs, Twilight and Rarity rushing to his sides as he put his forelegs around them, laughing maniacally.

Spike fell to the floor, backing up as lightning surged from the pony, striking the ground in front of him. “No! You can’t send me away! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!” He screamed as the lightning hit him.

“NO!” Spike shouted, sitting up in his bed. He was panting and sweating, looking around to see everything normal. “Oh, good… It’s just a dream…” He threw off his blanket, walking into the hallway to hear laughing in the distance. His face shrank in terror as he brought his claws up to his cheeks. “Or was it?!” He ran to the source of the laughter in a panic.

At the source, Twilight and Boltsinger were standing at the kitchen counter, leaning against one another as they brought ingredients together for the day’s breakfast. They were giggling almost nonstop at every little thing they did. Spike tilted his head, noting that the whole aura around the two felt inherently different. He wasn’t sure how he felt about it. After a minute or two of the sappy scene, Twilight turned to the fridge, pulling out a carton of milk as the baby dragon caught her eye.

“Oh! Good morning, Spike!” the Princess greeted, waving a wing at her assistant. “How did you sleep?”

“Eh. It was alright.” He answered. “There’s something… different about you two this morning…” He pointed a claw between the two ponies, a suspicious look on his face.

Boltsinger turned to see Spike and waved a wing of his own. “What do you mean, different?”

“Something about you two… Feels all warm and fuzzy.” Spike explained. “Did something happen?”

Twilight smiled over in the stallion’s direction, her ears sheepishly low. “Well, I was going to wait to tell everyone at once, but…” She beckoned Spike closer. “You know that thing that everypony’s been teasing us about?”

Spike nodded. “Yeah, what about it?” Twilight leaned in and whispered into his ears from behind a hoof. His eyes grew wide as he jumped back. “You two did WHAT?!”

Boltsinger chuckled as he flipped a flapjack with one of his wings. “You make it sound like a kiss is some sort of indecent filth.” He added the pancake to a nearby plate, starting up another.

“Bu-but... that means…” He shook in place, looking at the ponies as Twilight nodded in affirmation. “I thought it was just a joke! I knew that you were getting closer, but actually DATING? It was supposed to be some kind of… unrequited thing… So, what does this mean?”

“Calm down, Spike. “ Twilight said, pulling the dragon in for a hug. “It’s not like things will change that much!” She looked over at Boltsinger. “Right, Bolt?”

Boltsinger nodded, putting his pan on the stove long enough to sit next to Spike. “Absolutely. Biggest difference is that we’re more honest about one another. Other than that, nothing has really changed.”

Spike squinted his eyes, looking at Boltsinger’s smiling face. “Yeah… Nothing has changed…” He got up and walked over to the dishes. “I’ll… set the table…”

“Awesome! Thanks, Spike.” Boltsinger replied, giving a thumbs-up with his wing. From behind him, smoke began to creep out of the pan. Boltsinger let out a neigh as he turned around. “Ahhh! The pancakes!!!” He grabbed a hot pad and pulled the pan off the burner, looking inside with a frown. Spike let out a small sneer at the stallion as Twilight put a hoof on the pony’s head, petting him lightly before they both laughed, looking into one another’s eyes.

Spike came into the dining room, where Starlight was already sitting at the table. He grumbled to himself as he put the plates, forks, knives, spoons, cups, and napkins all in their proper places, very meticulously ensuring that everything was just right.

“Are you okay, Spike?” Starlight asked. “You look like your world was just blown away.”

Spike sighed, taking a place at the table next to Starlight. “It’s nothing. You’ll all find out later, anyway.”

Starlight cocked a confused eyebrow. “All right…” She looked at the baby dragon, who had his arms crossed with a sour expression. From the kitchen, some of the humming that she had gotten used to erupted, joined by another voice humming in harmony with it. Starlight perked up, looking at the door to the kitchen as the smell of fresh flapjacks wafted into the room. “Well, something good must be going on! Those smell delicious!”

Boltsinger and Twilight came through the door, each taking a seat as Twilight magically brought the food forward. “Good morning, Starlight!” the Alicorn said, placing a large stack of the cakes in the middle of the table. “I hope they taste just as good!”

Spike grumbled some more, taking a few pancakes and squeezing some syrup onto them.

“Oh! I forgot something!” Boltsinger started, shooting up from his chair and going back to the kitchen. He returned a few seconds later with a bowl of sparkly gem flakes, placing them next to Spike. “I know how much you like gems, so I figured you’d appreciate this on your pancakes. What do you think?”

Spike looked at the topping, drool escaping his mouth as his eyes sparkled. He looked over at Boltsinger, recalling the monster he saw in his dream. “Why are you doing this?” He asked, pointing to the gems. “You trying to butter me up or something? Trying to get on my good side?” He pointed at Boltsinger. “I don’t recall needing special treatment from you!”

Boltsinger stepped back, not sure what was going on. “I… just thought you’d like it. They were in the cupboard and I figured you would enjoy a special topping... “ He took the bowl and made his way back towards the kitchen. “I’m sorry…”

As the stallion left the room, Twilight glared at the baby dragon. “What was that about?!” She inquired, her voice stern. “He was just trying to be thoughtful!”

Spike stood up in his chair. “I didn’t do anything wrong!” He pointed a claw at the door to the kitchen. “He’s been getting on my nerves ever since you two got back from Las Pegasus! Now, suddenly he’s trying to warm up to me?! I’m just standing my ground!” His claw went from pointing at the kitchen to pointing at the floor below him.

“Spike, he only even brought those out after running the idea past me!” She told him. Spike’s expression softened at the knowledge. “If I had known you were going to be the grumpiest dragon in all of Equestria, I would have told him not to!” She huffed and stuck her fork in her pancakes, taking an angry bite.

“But… I…” Spike started, raising a claw.

“I thought that my number one assistant would be more accepting of our situation…” She wiped her mouth and got up, trotting out of the room.

“But… Twilight... I…” Spike’s arm fell limp at his side. He slumped his way off of the chair, stuffing the pancakes he had gathered into his mouth and slowly walking away.

Boltsinger came back into the room, looking around to find the number of occupants in the room had been cut in half. “Where did Twilight and Spike go?” He asked, sitting by his own plate again.

“You didn’t hear it?” Starlight wondered, raising an eyebrow. “They had an argument after you left the room.”

“No, I heard it. I just don’t know why they had to leave.” He informed her. “I figured we could at least talk it over over pancakes.”

Starlight facehoofed. “I don’t think Spike would have been able to sit through a meal right now.” She poked her meal with her fork. “I think he feels… threatened by you right now.”

Boltsinger tilted his head, shoving some flapjack in his face. “Threatened? Does he think I’m gonna chase him away or something?”

Starlight opened her mouth, surprised. “You know, if your hunches were any more spot-on, I’d think you were Pinkie Pie in disguise.”

“I see… Should I go talk to him?” the stallion asked. “‘Cause I don’t want him to hate me, or anything.”

“I would give him some space first.” Starlight suggested. “If you try to talk to him while he’s in a state like this, he’s liable to just get angrier.”

Boltsinger pondered her suggestion a moment, coming to a nod. “Yeah, I think you’re right.” He forked another pancake with his wing, holding it up and taking a look at it. “I don’t know why he would feel threatened, though. We told him that nothing was going to be changing.”

“Changing?” Starlight repeated, turning an ear towards the stallion and leaning in. “Why would anything be changing?”

Boltsingers pupils shrank. He dropped his fork, letting the pancake fall back onto its plate and splashing in the syrup all over him. “Well… um… You maaaay need to talk to Sunburst.” Starlight’s jaw dropped. “But not until after Twilight tells everypony. She wants everyone to know at once. Spike was supposed to be the only exception, but I would rather not try to keep a secret from somepony as smart as you.”

Starlight held out a hoof. “You mean you--”

“You know what? I have training with Rainbow Dash, soon, so I’m gonna go clean up and head to the field!” He got up and started hovering in the air. “Can you handle the dishes? Thanks! BYE!!!” With that, he sped out of the dining room, leaving Starlight sitting alone.

“Boltsinger!!! You get back here! I want answers!!!” she shouted, shaking her hoof as the Pegasus flew away.

After a morning of fuming, Spike was sitting in the library’s sitting area, shuffling through the comic books and piling them onto a piece of cloth. “If she’s so happy with Boltsinger, then she clearly doesn’t need me anymore…” He told himself, wiping away a budding tear. “I just get in the way, don’t I? Not enough love to go around, I guess…” He tied the cloth closed at the top, hanging it on a pole and heading for the door. As he reached for the knob, the door opened.

“Spike? You in here?” Boltsinger called, walking into the library and seeing the purple drake. “Ah! There you are!”

Spike squinted his eyes, looking angrily at the stallion. “What do you want?”

“I just wanted to talk with you.” He replied, walking over to a chair. Spike scoffed, turning to go for the door. “Come on, would it hurt that much to have a conversation with me?” He beckoned the dragon over with one of his wings. “I just want to understand your side of things.”

Spike looked at the earnest Pegasus smiling at him. “Fine…” He said, sighing and taking a seat in the chair next to him.

Boltsinger leaned towards Spike. “So, Starlight thinks you’ve been feeling threatened by me.” He started. “Is that true?”

Spike made a ‘meh’ gesture with his claws. “Maybe a little…”

“Why is that?”

“Because… Because you’re not the only one that loves Twilight, okay?!” The baby dragon admitted.

“Well, that goes without saying.” Boltsinger deadpanned. “I mean, she has a lot of ponies who love her. And a dragon.”

“Yeah, well what if there’s not enough love to go around?” Spike stressed. “What if she doesn’t love me anymore because you came in and took it all?” Seconds of silence passed, Boltsinger looking seriously at Spike’s worried face. Finally, he burst out laughing, slapping his knee with a foreleg and stomping on his chair. “What’s so funny?!”

Boltsinger slapped his face with his wings, smiling at the little dragon. “Oh, Spike, you should hear how ridiculous that sounded!”

“What are you talking about?!” Spike fumed.

“Twilight could never stop loving you!” Boltsinger clarified. “You are far too important for her to ever stop caring.” He got up and walked up next to the dragon. “Besides, there’s no such thing as ‘not enough love to go around’. It just means there’s more love in her life. It doesn’t mean her feelings about anypony else have changed. And just because you’re not a pony, that doesn’t make you any less important. Besides, she’s told me on many occasions that she’d be lost without her number one assistant.”

Spike’s face lit up. “She said that?”

“Yep. Without you, she’d be a bigger mess than Rainbow said she was without me.” He got up and moved towards the door. “Besides, your pancakes are way better than mine.”

Spike hopped up from his chair, dropping the satchel he’d created and leaving it on the floor. “You’re darn right they are!” He ran over to Boltsinger and walked with him.

“By the way… Good choice of comics.” Boltsinger told him. “Power Ponies rock!”

Spike’s expression went from happy to ecstatic. He jumped onto Boltsinger’s back as the stallion sped up to a trot. “You know about the Power Ponies?! Which one’s your favorite?”

“Gotta say Hum Drum.” the Pegasus stated with a confident nod. “He’s the one that brings the group together and inspires them all to be the heroes they are, after all.” He took a look back at Spike. “That’s a pretty important role.”

“But he doesn’t have any powers!” Spike interjected. “He gets in the way half the time, and never accomplishes anything!”

“That doesn’t mean he’s useless.” the stallion continued. “Not to mention, he’s relatable. That’s something the Power Ponies themselves can’t say so easily. Hum Drum makes mistakes, which is something anypony can understand.”

Spike nodded in understanding. “I… think I see what you’re getting at.” He said as the two rounded the corner where the doors to the throne room loomed over them.

“All right. So, you don’t even need to apologize. ‘Cause in my opinion, all is already forgiven.” Boltsinger informed him. Spike nodded, and the two made their way into the room where Twilight and the other mares waited.

“All right, everypony, they’re here!” Twilight announced as Spike jumped off of the stallion’s back and plopped down in his seat by Twilight. Boltsinger took his own position beside the Princess, standing like nothing had happened that day as the Alicorn leaned in. “He seems like he’s doing a lot better. What happened?”

Boltsinger chuckled to himself and gave a grin. “Guy talk.”

Author's Note

Spike is a character who had been eluding me for a while. But after having such a huge thing happen with Twilight, I had to address his feelings on the matter. My sense of "characters" wouldn't let me just gloss it over. He's proud, but gets jealous pretty easily. Once I was sure of that, his responses came a little more easily.

The How-To Book

“FINALLY!!!” three voices sounded simultaneously from inside the Castle of Friendship. Ponies outside the building stopped in their tracks, looking curiously at the castle. Inside, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and an ecstatic Rarity were all standing up in their thrones. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were sitting normally, Fluttershy with a warm smile and Pinkie nodding in approval.

“You actually made it official?!” Rarity asked in her hype, placing her hooves on the map and leaning towards Twilight and Boltsinger as far as she could. Twilight nodded, a look of content unmistakable on her. Rarity backed into her throne, putting her forehooves together by her face as her eyes lit up like the night sky. “That’s WONDERFUL news, darling! We simply must celebrate!”

Applejack, who had already sank back into her throne, let out a hearty chuckle. “Well, it’s about time, if ya ask me. He’s been makin’ eyes at you for moons, now.”

“Excuse me,” Boltsinger interjected, pointing a foreleg at the farm mare. “I have not been ‘making eyes’ at Twilight.” He put his hoof back on the floor with a firm stomp. “I’ve been staring. Blatantly and without shame.” The mares all looked at him candidly. “Hey, if we’re gonna be honest, I’m gonna make sure I follow through.” The room erupted with laughter.

Pinkie uncharacteristically broke the laughter. “Wait! So, does that mean that you two are gonna start calling each other pet names and going everywhere together and getting so absorbed in each other at all times that it annoys everypony around you because of how sickeningly happy you are together that they all come up with CRAZY plans to break you up and ruin their friendships with you in a horrifyingly failed attempt to get back the pony you once were?”

Twilight took a deep breath, looking at the hyperactive pony that had inched her way closer to her. “No.” She informed her. “The ponies we are haven’t changed and won’t change.”

“Oh, good.” Pinkie said, falling back into her throne. “I thought things were gonna get hairy for a second.”

Fluttershy flew over to her friends, placing a foreleg on each of them. “Well, I’m just happy that you’re happy.” She told them.

“Thank you.” Boltsinger said, putting his own hoof on hers. “Granted, that doesn’t mean that things are changing all that much. I’m not exactly getting my own throne or anything.”

Twilight looked at Boltsinger, the gears turning in her head. What did it really mean? They had said all day that there wouldn’t be any huge changes, but that wasn’t entirely true, was it? She raised a hoof to her muzzle, lost in her pondering as Rarity came up to her.

“Twilight?” She began, coming in close. “Are you alright?”

Twilight blinked, snapping out of her trance. “Huh? Yeah, I’m fine. Why?”

“How do I put this…?” Rarity began, doing some pondering of her own. “You look like Princess Celestia just gave you a pop quiz on a subject you know next to nothing about. Is something on your mind?”

“Oh. It’s nothing.” She dismissed. “What do you need?”

“I just wanted to know how you’d like to celebrate the occasion, darling!” the Unicorn explained. “Is there anything in particular you’d like to do?”

Twilight shook her head, gathering her thoughts. “Oh, I’m not sure. I’ll tell you later, okay?”

“All right, dear. You just let me know.” Rarity affirmed. “Or Pinkie. She’s better at putting on a soiree, after all. You know where to find me if you need me.”

Twilight gave Rarity a hug as the fashionista made her way out the door. “Thanks, Rarity.” She bade all of her friends a fond farewell as they each left for their homes, turning to Boltsinger. “Can I… talk to you in the library later?” Boltsinger cocked an eyebrow. “It’s not bad. I just need to confirm a few things. Okay?”

The Pegasus nodded firmly. “All right. I’ll see you in a bit, then.” He nuzzled her nose for half a second, turning and flying off towards the library.

Twilight’s gaze lingered on the flying stallion as the gears began to turn again. Starlight walked over to her mentor, curiously reaching a hoof towards her.

“Twilight?” She poked the lilac pony lightly, causing her to look back at her. “What was that about?”

Twilight let out a frustrated groan and began walking. “I’m not sure! Boltsinger and I told Spike this morning that nothing was really changing, but… Is that true? I’ve never exactly had a relationship like this one, before! I never bothered to do any research on dating, so I have no idea how to go about it! And with Boltsinger just spouting off a confession at the Gala, that just set things in motion and… I don’t regret it, but I’m the one that kissed him! And… How does it change when you start dating? Do we have to come up with names or… what?”

Starlight, having seen her mentor and friend ramble on about the subject at such a rapid pace, found herself with a lump in her throat. She wasn’t quite sure how to answer. “I… don’t know. It’s not like there’s a book on how to properly approach a dating relationship…” Twilight stopped moving. She looked at Starlight with hope in her eyes. “Is there…?”

The Princess beamed, giving Starlight a quick hug. “Thank you! I’m gonna go and check!” She waved a wing at her student, galloping off to the library.

The door to the library swung open, Twilight rushing in and looking at the spines of as many books as possible, intently focused on the ‘D’ section. “D-A… D-A… Is there something here that works?”

“Twilight!” Boltsinger called from the table in the middle of the room. Twilight looked down at the orange pony, seeing him motioning to a book with his hoof. “Is this what you’re looking for?”

Twilight swooped down next to him, taking a look at the cover. “Dating Do’s and Don’t’s… How To Start and Keep a Healthy Relationship!” She gave the stallion beside her a kiss on the cheek. “This is perfect! Where did you find it?”

“You were just about to pass over the slot I found it!” he explained. “I thought it might be a good book to take a look at… Seeing as I’ve never really been in a relationship like this before…” He brought two of the hard-backed study chairs together, putting the book on the table in front of them. “Do you want to read it together?”

Twilight’s response was silent and swift. She lifted Boltsinger into the air with her magic and took a seat in one of the chairs, plopping the Pegasus to be perfectly positioned by the present Princess and opening the book. The two of them leaned in together and began reading.

Twilight turned several of the pages. “The first parts are talking about how to start the relationship.” She turned to the pony next to her with a smile as the two laughed simultaneously, looking back at the book. “So, it says here that the first thing couples do is… kiss.” They turned to one another. “I think we already did that part.”

“I wouldn’t mind a refresher, though.” Boltsinger suggested.

Twilight flashed a grin, leaning in close. “I think it went something like… this.” She leaned in and pressed her mouth against his. He leaned into it, and they lingered for a few seconds. As they separated, Twilight swept her mane away from her shoulder. “Is that right?”

Boltsinger looked at the Princess, enamored by the mare. “Yeah, I think that was it. But I may have to make sure later, okay?”

Twilight giggled. “Whatever you say, lover-bolt.” She turned back to the book and took a quill from nearby, placing a check mark next to the step. “So, next it says… nicknames?”

“Well, everypony seems to have taken to calling me ‘Bolt’, so I guess that’s a thing.” He told her. “I’ve never really been a huge ‘nickname’ kind of pony, though. I love your name as is.”

“Oooookay. Let’s just consider that checked.” She placed another mark next to the step. She turned to face him again. “What about things like behavior? Do we have to change how we interact normally?”

“Well, you being you is what I fell for in the first place.” the stallion explained. “It’s not like I expect you to be different from how you’ve always been.”

Twilight let out a blush as she turned back to the book. “I feel the same way about you, too. Now, let’s see what’s next!” She turned the page. “Always communicate and be honest.” She turned her gaze. “Got any secrets?”

“Nnope.” Boltsinger responded in his best Big Mac impression.

“Me niether.” She checked the box and moved on. “Go on ‘dates’... We’ve done that, haven’t we?”

“Well, there was our trip before the Gala, and the Gala itself.” He sighed at the more negative parts of that evening. “And we did have fun together in Las Pegasus. But I wouldn’t mind going places with you more often. At least as long as it doesn’t get in the way of anything important.”

“All right. I’ll set up a schedule for it, later.” Twilight commented, placing another check mark. “And… here… Oh.” She looked back and forth between the book and the Bolt. “I don’t think we’re quite there yet.”

Boltsinger looked at the section she was concentrating on. He saw an image of a grand wedding. “Ah…” He turned red and looked at Twilight. “Yeah, I think going into that step is moving a little too fast.” The two laughed and closed the book. “I think we’ve got it handled. It’s not like we’re any different as ponies than we were before. I think the biggest thing is that we should be more open with one another.” He put a hoof on Twilight’s back. “Things will go where they may. So let’s not rush into big changes.”

Twilight gave a knowing nod. “You’re right. It’s not like our relationship is going to change the fate of all of Equestria!” She paused for a moment, bringing a hoof up to her muzzle. “Or is it...?”

Boltsinger booped Twilight on the horn. “Twilight. I know this sounds strange to you, but you’re thinking too much.”

Twilight snapped out of her trance once more. “Yeah… You’re probably right!”

After another look through the book, just to be certain, the two made their way into Ponyville, wanting to figure out what they wanted to do with everypony else, since Rarity wouldn’t let them get away with not celebrating recent events. They walked into the Carousel Boutique, triggering the telltale bell.

“Ah! Welcome to Carousel Bouti--” Rarity started, laying eyes on Twilight. “Ah! Twilight, how lovely to see you!” She trotted over to the couple. “Have you figured out what you’d like to do? There’s a lot of options.” She lit up in realization. “Ooh! We could go shopping!”

“Actually, we decided we’re not going to do anything!” Twilight informed her. “We talked it over, and we agreed that, just because our relationship has changed, that doesn’t mean that we have to make some big celebration out of it. It’s not like we’re married, after all!”

“But-but Twilight!” Rarity pleaded. “This is a major happenstance for you! I want to help you make it something you’ll remember for the rest of your life!”

The winged ponies smiled at each other, and then at Rarity. “Believe me, Rarity.” Boltsinger said, putting his wing around Twilight. “Neither of us will ever forget this.”

Rarity gave the two a fond look, bringing up a foreleg and giggling. “Very well, then. I’ll leave the two of you to it.” She trotted over to a dress she had been working on, making some final touches. “Is there anything you’d like while you’re here?”

Twilight shook her head, turning to leave as Boltsinger came forward, leaning close to Rarity. He turned to look at Twilight.

“I’ll be along in a sec.” He waved a foreleg at her as she exited, then turned to Rarity once more. “I actually do have something in mind… But we can’t tell Twilight just yet. I want to surprise her.”

Rarity looked at the stallion with wonder in her eyes. “Oh? What is this surprise?”

Boltsinger pulled, from his mane, a white crystal in the shape of a six-pointed star, holding it up to Rarity with his wing. “You remember how you helped Twilight make my pendant?” He asked. Rarity nodded in understanding. “This thing isn’t a piece of a magical friendship map, but it is really pretty, and… Do you think you could bejewel this into something fitting for Twilight? I’ll pay however much you need me to.”

“Nonsense.” Rarity began. Boltsinger’s face sank at the harsh word. “I wouldn’t have you pay a single bit for something so sweet! Of course I can make something of this!” She took the crystal and stared at it, her face showing signs of her trademark inspiration. “You come back in a few days, and I’ll have something ready for you!”

Boltsinger excitedly nodded, turning to canter out after Twilight. As he approached the door, he turned and pointed a hoof at the designer. “Rarity, you define fabulous! Thank you!” He swung open the door and sped off towards his favorite mare.

Rarity looked at the crystal, then at the closing door. “You’re darn right, I do!”

Do You Dare?

In the castle library, Boltsinger sat with another book in the Daring Do series. He’d read this one before, but something about it stood out to him much more lately, and he wanted to give it another read. This was the first time that Daring Do had ever worked with another pony, no matter how reluctantly, and he loved the attitude that the sidekick for this adventure brought. She was a bit brash and naive, thinking the world of Daring, but eventually came into her own at the end. She had a certain level of sass to her, and was a good enough flyer to remind him of Rainbow Dash…

“Wait a minute…” With that thought, he had finished the book once again, and closed the cover, looking at the front of the book. There, next to Daring Do, was a cyan Pegasus mare with a rainbow mane and tail, wearing a baseball cap, her Cutie Mark obstructed. Boltsinger cocked an inquisitive eyebrow at the image, steam practically billowing out of his ears as he pondered the meaning of it. “Why would Rainbow Dash be on the cover of…” His eyes widened as he dropped the book. He scrambled to pick it up again as his wings went full bore. He shot out of the library and the castle faster than anypony had seen out of him.

One minute later, at Rainbow Dash’s cloud house, there was a loud crashing sound followed by a knock at the door. Rainbow Dash jumped out of her bed, her nap coming to a very abrupt end, and flew to the door.

“RAINBOW!” came a voice from outside. “You have some explaining to do!!!” The knocking on the door continued as the Wonderbolt made her way to the door.

“What is it?!” She asked, starting to open the door. “I was in the middle of a--” She stopped as the door opened, the cover of a Daring Do book having been thrust before her, an orange wingtip pointing at a familiar pony on the cover.

“This is you.” Boltsinger stated.

Rainbow Dash looked at the image, knowing full well that the stallion was correct. She looked away, backing up. “Whaaaaaat?” She started. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

Boltsinger thrusted the book forward some more, entering the abode. “I’m talking about the cover of this book.” He pointed harder at the picture. “This rainbow-maned pony here is unmistakably you.”

“That could be any pony!” Dash lied, swaying her foreleg down with a nervous laugh. “I’m sure there are a lot of Pegasi with blue bodies and six-colored manes! My dad has a rainbow mane! It could be him!”

“The character in the book certainly talks like you.” Boltsinger continued. “And A.K. Yearling certainly describes some crazy good flying out of this sidekick here. I dare say it’s Wonderbolt-grade flying…”

Rainbow Dash gave a cocky laugh. “Well, I dunno if it was Wonderbolt-grade flying back then, buuuut…” Her eyes opened wide, realizing what she had just said. She quickly brought her forelegs together, covering her mouth.

“What was that?” the stallion inquired, leaning in closer. “Why would you get so braggy about a fictional character’s flying ability, I wonder…?”

“Well, maybe A.K. Yearling saw me at the Best Young Flyer competition all those years ago and was impressed enough to base a character on me!” Rainbow said, continuing her fib.

“Yes, because A.K. Yearling, a known recluse, would totally go out of her way to go to a competition in Cloudsdale to see a pony to make into a sidekick for a signature character that has a preference for working alone.” Boltsinger commented, the sarcasm in his voice more evident than the Cutie Mark on his flank. “Besides, this characterization of you is so accurate that she would have to know you personally to write a character like this!” Rainbow Dash winced, shrinking into herself for the first time since the stallion had met her. “Do you know A.K. Yearling?”

“Umm… Yes, and no…” the cyan pony admitted, looking at the floor. “I know A.K. Yearling… And a little more…”

“Such as?” the orange pony lead.

“I know her secret…” She said. “Please don’t pry any more… I reeeeeeeally don’t want to betray her trust! If you wanna know, I wrote about it in the friendship journal!”

Boltsinger tucked the book under his wing and looked at her puzzlingly. “Friendship journal?” He repeated.

“Yeah, it’s a journal that we all used to write in whenever we learned something about friendship.” She informed him. “We’ve all got loads to say in it. If you really want to know why I’m on the cover of that book, read that.”

Boltsinger sat on the floor in front of his flight coach. “Um… Okay, I guess.” He offered a hoof to help Rainbow Dash up. “Sorry about all that. I was just in the heat of the moment.”

Rainbow took the hoof and stood up. “It’s okay. I needed to wake up, anyway.” She went into her room, coming out soon after, looking distinctly less disheveled. “Well, I’m up, now. You wanna get something to eat?”

Boltsinger shook his head. “Nah, I’ve got a new book to find.” He told her, securing his current tome and flying out the door. “I’ll see you later!”

Rainbow Dash watched the stallion leave, letting out a relieved sigh as she hopped out the door and flew away.

A knock came on the door to Twilight’s room, alerting the occupying Princess to the presence of a visitor. “Come in!” She called. The door opened, Boltsinger coming in.

“So, did you know that Rainbow Dash was on the cover of a Daring Do book?” the stallion asked, taking a seat next to the Princess’ dresser. “I asked her about it, and she told me that she knows A.K. Yearling’s ‘secret’... I asked her further, but she told me to consult the friendship journal.” He looked over at the Alicorn. “Is there a copy I can use?”

“I… think there’s one extra copy somewhere. I’ll see if I can find it later, okay?” She answered.

“Sooooooooo…” Boltsinger began, looking at the Princess as she lay on top of her blankets. “What are you up to?”

Twilight blushed, looking back at something she had between her forehooves. “Oh, it’s nothing! Just a new book.”

Boltsinger leaned in closer. “What kind of book?”

“The kind you read.” She nervously replied, motioning to hide the book. A corner of the page showed a covered image of a city with green hair entangling various sections of it. She let out a sheepish smile as the stallion leaned in closer.

“Comic book?” He guessed.

“What?! Noooo… Why would I be reading a... comic book? That’s ridiculous…” She rambled. Boltsinger cocked an eyebrow in her direction. Twilight’s face sank in defeat. “Okay, fine… I’m reading a comic book.”

“Nothing wrong with that. Power Ponies are awesome.” Boltsinger affirmed.

“I’ve just been hearing you and Spike going on about it for so long, now, that I couldn’t help but start reading!” She confessed.

“Spike told me that you all had an adventure in one of the books, once. I’m surprised you only got into it recently.” He got up, moving to head out. “I’ll let you enjoy the story. Bewaaaaare~ the Mane-iac!” He took off out the door. Twilight smiled as he left, returning to her comic.

After the next day’s tutoring session, Twilight placed a purple book with a horse shoe design that featured five gems corresponding to the Elements of Harmony with the Element of Magic emblazoned in the middle. It bore two gold bars on its binding, and looked to be freshly made.

“Is this what I think it is?” Boltsinger asked, getting up and stretching.

“Yup! Your very own copy of the Journal of Friendship!” Twilight confirmed, swelling with pride. “I hope you can learn as much from reading it as we all did in writing it!”

Boltsinger picked up the book with a look of wonder, a big smile present on his muzzle. “I’m pretty sure I will.” He turned his gaze over to Twilight. “Thanks!” He gave Twilight a peck on the cheek and flew off to his room, laughing excitedly. He landed in his bed, opening the book and greedily drinking in every single word. He found himself fascinated by the ponies his friends were back before the castle existed. The lessons they had learned from one another, as well as...

“Wait a minute…” Boltsinger began, looking at Rainbow Dash’s first major entry. “Had an ‘adventure’ with the ‘coolest pony ever’?” He looked at the date of the entry, then thought back. “This isn’t too long before that book was released… Rainbow would probably be able to befriend A.K. Yearling… but an adventure with a reclusive writer is a bit out there, even for her… She wouldn’t think of Yearling as all that ‘cool’, either…” He pondered the idea more as the steam came forth from his ears. After a few minutes, his eyes opened as wide as they could, and the whistle from the teapot that was his mind sounded. “Daring Do is real…” He marked the book, placing it carefully on his nightstand as his wings flared in excitement. “DARING DO IS REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAL!!!” He jumped on his bed, then fluttered in the air above it. Laughing in excitement, he sped down the hallway and out the door, headed straight for Twilight in the library. He came to a stop so sudden that a cloud of stray papers kicked up behind him. “Daring Do is real.” He told her, looking absolutely ecstatic.

Twilight looked up from the hidden comic she was reading. “I see you found Rainbow Dash’s first entry.” Boltsinger nodded so rapidly that all Twilight could see was two long eyes in a streak of orange and blue. “It came as a bit of a shock to all of us, but… yes! Rainbow has done the most with her, though…” She let a small look of jealousy escape onto her face as she recalled all of her friend’s bragging about the other adventures she had with their favorite heroine. “But we do try to keep it a secret from most ponies.”

Boltsinger plopped his rear into the chair closest to the one the Princess sat in, unleashing a barrage of questions. He asked about the nature of the adventurer’s adventures, how accurately they were transcribed in the books, and whether or not creatures like the dreaded Ahuizotl were actually real. In his excitement, he didn’t even begin to notice the electricity that was sparking around his now-stiff wings.

“Uh, Bolt?” Twilight said, pointing at his suddenly shining pendant. “I think you might want to get to the balcony… And send me a letter when you get where you’re going!”

“Huh? What?!” He looked at his wings as his body began to tense up. “AHHH!” He broke into a gallop, heading for the nearest open window. “All right, love you, and I’ll tell you all about it when I can!”

With that, the sound of thunder echoed through the castle as the living lightning bolt of a pony took off, full speed, towards Southern Equestria.

What he thought was going to be a typical multi-day flight seemed to only take half a day, as he was flying faster than he normally would. He saw a number of parts of Equestria he’d never seen. Temples, desert, jungle, and several villages. Finally, he laid eyes on a building that he had never seen before, yet was extremely familiar to him.

Is that the Get On Inn? He thought, his descent beginning as he spied the inn. Is that my destination this time?

CRASH

Yes… Yes it is. He rolled over at the point of impact, his wings still tingling and stiff. He looked up into the sky, the sun eking its way into his vision. He let out a groan, his head sore from the crash, as a figure cast a shadow over him. The silhouette was familiar, reminding him of Rainbow Dash wearing a hat. “Rainbow Dash?” He asked, seeing an image of the pony in question.

“You know Rainbow Dash?” the image said, shifting to a sand-colored mare with a grayscale mane reminiscent of his friend with hot pink eyes. She wore a pith helmet and jacket, and looked to be concerned for the pony below her.

Boltsinger slowly got up. “Yeah, she’s a friend of mine and my… flight… cooooa…” He looked at the mare’s Cutie Mark, seeing a distinct compass rose as his jaw slowly fell as far as it would go. “Are you who I think you are?”

The mare rolled her eyes, looking at him with a flat expression. “Rainbow Dash told you about me, didn’t she?”

Boltsinger shook his head adamantly. “No, she was pretty tight-lipped about it. All she said was that A.K. Yearling had a secret.” He got one more look at the Pegasus before him. All questions had suddenly ceased. He was certain.

The pony before him was undeniably, unmistakably, inarguably, Daring Do herself!

Author's Note

This one kinda started with some ad-libbing to be honest. I knew that I wanted to address Daring Do, but I honestly wasn't expecting it to turn into what it is. I can't guarantee exactly how fast the next chapter will come out, as I'm still working out the details of what all will be going down, but it's a slow process. I'm not quite used to writing this particular kind of adventure. Look forward to it, though, 'cause it's looking to be fun!

Indeed, I Dare!

Author's Note

So, before you go into this chapter, I'm going to let you know that I'm not quite familiar with writing an adventure quite like this one. Do not expect my best work. However, I've also opened up a very interesting box with the Daring Do adventures, so I'm going to be exploring it more. Hopefully with help and some improvements to my overall writing ability.
Anyway, for what it's worth, enjoy!

Indeed, I Dare!

Boltsinger squeed internally. Had he been in his usual state of mind instead of landing from one of his flights, he would be bouncing more than Pinkie Pie when somepony new arrived in Ponyville. Standing before him was the protagonist of one of his favorite adventure novel series, Daring Do! And the best part; He had just landed here from a flight that told him that he was needed by somepony nearby!

“So, I know this is going to sound strange, Miss Do, but…” Boltsinger tried to relax his wings, but they wouldn’t move. He took a breath to continue.

“I need your help!” Daring interrupted. “If you know Rainbow Dash, then she’ll believe you when you say that I need her!”

“So, you need me to deliver a message to Rainbow?” the stallion asked. “I can do that, I think. Only took me half a day to get here this time.”

“That’s great! Do you know somepony named Quibble Pants as well?” she asked. “Normally I can handle puzzles, but I’ve received a threat from Ahuizotl saying that if I don’t meet his challenge, he’s going to lay siege to the nearby villages with an army of feline warriors!”

“Army of feline warriors? But doesn’t Ahuizotl only have five hench-cats?” he questioned. “Anyway… I don’t know anypony named Quibble Pants, but... “ He brought a hoof up to his muzzle, thinking on what to do. “If you need a smart pony, my girlfriend is the smartest pony around!”

“Somehow, he’s managed to find a large number of cats to obey his command, and he’s got them trained on the village of Somnambula right now!” She explained. “If that girlfriend of yours really is as smart as you say, bring her along as well!”

“Right. I’ll go get them!” His stomach growled in defiance. “Riiiiiiight after I get some food.”

“So, what’s your name, anyway?” Daring asked as the two made their way inside. “You must be coming from Ponyville if Rainbow Dash is your flight coach.”

“Oh, my name is Boltsinger.” he told her, gesturing to himself with a foreleg. “And you’re right, I moved to Ponyville a while back. But these wings of mine take me all over.”

“I see… Well, I’m glad you’re not just squealing like a rabid fan.” Daring stated as the two sat down at one of the tables. “That’s the normal response I get when somepony finds out my secret.”

“Oh, if I had arrived under different circumstances, I would be.” the stallion confirmed. He scarfed down a multitude of the complimentary muffins, sliding a few into a bag he had pulled out of his mane. “Well, I’m gonna go and deliver your message! I’ll see you soon!” With that, electricity sparked from his wings as he ran outside, where there was a sudden thunderclap. Daring ran outside to investigate, seeing the Pegasus she’d just met flying off to the north.

At Rainbow Dash’s house, the resident pony was rocked out of her nap, hearing the sound of thunder just outside her door. She ran outside, looking around frantically for the source of the sound. She looked at the electrified hole in the ground below her house, seeing a particular orange stallion standing shakily in the hole, looking up at her.

“Bolt? What are you doing here?” Rainbow said, flying down next to him. “Twilight just told me you had taken off! How’d you get back here so fast?”

“Well, I’m technically still on the job. Otherwise I’d be way more excited that I just met Daring Do herself.” He jumped out of the hole and turn to Rainbow Dash. “That was the secret you were talking about, right?”

“Wait, the pony you’re helping this time is Daring Do?!” Rainbow inquired. “Then... why are you here?”

“She wants me to come get you. I’ve just got one other stop before we go to the inn.” Boltsinger told her, turning towards the castle. “I’ll be at the castle! Get your things ready to go, because Ahuizotl seems to have something huge planned for Daring!” He flared his wings and took off, leaving Rainbow Dash to wonder just what was so urgent that Daring Do needed her help.

Twilight was in the kitchen, looking through a cookbook to see what she wanted to make next as the door to the kitchen swung open with a burst of wind. She jumped, turning around to see Boltsinger standing in the doorway, his wings and Cutie Mark still crackling.

“Boltsinger, what are you doing back so soon? And why are you still surging like that?” She wondered, running up to the stallion.

“I need your help!” He said, pulling her towards him. “Or, more accurately, Daring Do needs your help! Rainbow is on her way here, and I was told to look for a smarter pony as well. You’re the smartest pony I know, so you’re it! Come on!” He ran out the door, leaving a dumbfounded Twilight to look at the determined stallion.

She shook her head and facehoofed, snapping herself out of it. “Right! I’ll get my things!” She flew off to her room, gathering everything she might need for a high-stakes adventure. As she turned to exit, she nodded to herself, floating the book with her special somepony’s Cutie Mark emblazoned on the cover into her saddlebag, taking off after him.

Back at the Get On Inn, Daring Do was waiting as patiently as she could, which meant restlessness had set in several hours ago. She looked over a note that she had received in her home that bore several claw and tooth-marks, as if delivered by a big cat.

Daring Do... She read to herself in the voice of her foe. Prepare yourself! I have concocted a challenge for you, and if you don’t show up, I will unleash my feline army upon your cherished village of Somnambula! If you survive, I will call off my attack, of course. But that is unlikely! You are welcome to bring those accursed ponies that interfered with previous encounters. All the more to complete my vengeance!!! She didn’t bother to read the last part again, as it was covered with scratches and fang marks. Plus, she was pretty sure it was just Ahuizotl writing his own evil laughter into the letter, as her arch-foes often did.

“I hope Boltsinger gets back with Rainbow Dash and their friend soon.” She said. “I know I can take Ahuizotl on, but would he really stop his attack on the village?” She looked at the sky with a determined face. “I’ve gotta have a backup plan!” She turned to enter the in again as the ground shook, a thunderclap signaling the arrival Daring was hoping for. She excitedly turned to the source of the sound, seeing Boltsinger in a rather unceremonious position, with Rainbow Dash and a familiar lilac Alicorn piled on top of him.

“Are you okay?” She asked, cantering up to the ponies. “That looks like a rough landing!”

Boltsinger worked his way back up to his hooves. “I’m fine.” he leaned in next to the Alicorn. “You all right?”

The Alicorn opened her eyes with a bit of a wobble to them, raising a foreleg in proclamation. “I’m fine, Boltie-boo, you just make sure my magick-y thing isn’t all floppy!”

“Floppy?” He wondered, putting his wing under her to help her up. “Twilight, why would your horn ever be floppy?”

Twilight shook herself from her crash-induced daze, looking away with a hint of red showing itself on her face. “Oh, it’s nothing. It’s not like I’ve had any Poison Joke, after all!”

Boltsinger cocked a confused eyebrow. “Poison Joke?” He repeated. “I’ll ask for details later.” He turned to Rainbow Dash, who had already recovered from the landing and was trotting over to Daring Do.

“What do you need us for, Daring?” the Wonderbolt asked. “Bolt told us that Ahuizotl was planning something. Do you need us to head in and take him out while you retrieve a sacred artifact?”

Daring held her letter up to Rainbow, letting it unfurl before her. “Read it for yourself!” Rainbow did as directed, her eyes widening as they reached the bottom of the page. “As much as I’d like you to help me against Ahuizotl himself, I just can’t trust that he’ll let the village go when I beat him!” She took the letter and stuffed it back in her pocket. “So I need you three to get the villagers to safety. I’ll be taking on Ahuizotl on my own.”

“Are you sure you wanna face him alone?” Rainbow inquired, looking to the distance. “You know we have a better chance of beating him if we’re together.”

“Trust me, I can handle Ahuizotl.” the explorer stated with confidence. “Besides, once he’s taken care of, there’s one more thing I’ll need help with. That’s why I asked for... “ She took another look over at Twilight. “Wait a minute… You’re Princess Twilight, aren’t you?”

“Yep. That’s me!” Twilight said, trotting over to Daring. “It’s wonderful to see you again!”

“Likewise.” She smiled at the Princess, looking between her and Rainbow Dash. They turned to head towards the village, thinking on the pony that had just brought her much-needed help. “Wait a minute…” She moved over beside Boltsinger. “You said that your girlfriend was the smartest pony around… But you brought me the Princess of Friendship… Was your girlfriend not available or something?”

Boltsinger gave Daring a confused look. “What do you mean? That’s exactly who I brought! Besides, we’ve got bigger concerns.” He cantered ahead, catching up with the mares as they came closer to the village of Somnambula.

Daring Do looked at them for a second. Wow. Some ponies really can surprise you! She nodded to herself, catching up with the group.

In the village, Daring Do and her compatriots stood by the renewed statue of the Pillar of Hope and namesake of the town. Many of the village ponies were gathered around, giving the visitors their undivided attention.

“Ponies of Somnambula, you need to listen to me!” Daring began, stepping forward. “I know you’re still reeling from the last time my adventures brought me here, but I’m afraid I have to bring a warning! The dreaded Ahuizotl has returned! And he’s threatened your village…” The townsponies gasped in fear. “But you have no reason to panic! I will face him myself! And my friends here are going to ensure your safety in the meantime!” She flew above the statue. “You have nothing to fear!”

Twilight stepped forward, wings flared and head held high. “All right, now, if everypony will listen to me, I have instructions for you to follow in case of emergency!” She floated a long list from her saddlebag, reading off various steps for them, ranging from staying indoors to escape routes. The townsponies all commented in mixed responses. Some would refer to Daring Do’s last visit to the village, thinking of how this is the third time she had brought danger to their home, where others would step in and defend her.

As the Princess kept going, Daring turned to Rainbow Dash. “I need you to scout ahead for me. Make sure everything is prepared so that we can get everypony out and keep the town itself as safe as possible. Can you do that?”

Rainbow nodded, spreading her wings. “I’m on it!” She took off, heading for the outskirts of town.

Daring turned to Boltsinger, noting his still stiff wings, sticking straight up. “Are… you okay? You look like you’ve got a bit of a… problem there.” She pointed at his wings with her foreleg. “You sure you can handle this?”

“I’m fine. Whenever I’m… I guess the best word is ‘working’... My wings are like this all the time, unless I need to use them.” Boltsinger explained. “What do you need from me?”

“The Princess tells me that you have a few skills to offer in a pinch.” She told him. “Something about good wind control?” Boltsinger nodded in confirmation. “Okay, then…” She put a wing up in front of them and began to whisper in his ear.

“Oh?” Boltsinger started, hearing the instructions the adventurer had for him. “Uh-huh… I like that. Okay, got it.” Daring moved back, looking at him sternly. “All right, then, you can count on me.” He trotted over to Twilight, placing his wingtips on her flank and lingering for a moment as she finished her instruction and turned to him. “Hey, you be safe, all right?”

Twilight smiled and turned to face him fully. “I’ll be fine. It’s not my first time in a dangerous situation. I’m more worried about you.”

“I’ll admit, this is a bit of a first for me.” He admitted. “Only time so far that I’ve had to face real danger was in the Crystal Empire. But it was to help the most important ponies in the world to me. I would gladly face any danger if it means my friends are all safe.” He looked confidently at Daring Do as Rainbow Dash returned. “I know that now more than ever.” He turned his gaze back at Twilight, looking her squarely in the eye. “We’ve got this.” He leaned in and gave her a kiss, quickly turning and flying off towards the northern part of town.

Several hours later, as evening made its approach, a cacophony of cats of every breed and size gathered in a circle, a large blue monkey-like creature with a hand on the end of its tail stood. It had dog-like hind legs, with gorilla-like arms. Its hands, belly, and jaw were all of a lighter blue than the rest of its body, and it wore golden jewelry on its arm, the wrist of its tail, neck, and one of its elongated ears. Its head was surprisingly elongated, but where one would expect to find the nostrils of such a creature, its eyes were situated, a beady little nose sitting just above the large, fanged mouth. The creature walked to the center of the circle on all fours, pounding the ground with every step of its arms as Daring Do flew in, making a hard landing on the ground before the beast.

“Ah… Daring Do.” The creature said through an intelligible yet unidentifiable accent. “You’ve finally arrived! And alone, I see! Did you not wish to see any other ponies harmed because of your accursed heroics?”

“You’re surprisingly frank, today, Ahuizotl.” Daring retorted in a mocking tone. “What’s the matter? Have I gotten under your skin?”

The creature shook with anger and pounded the ground in front of the pony. “YES! I have grown so weary of your constant thwarting of my every scheme!” He got up close, towering over her. “Now, it is time for us to finish this!” He reared up, banging his fists against his chest. “Time for you… TO BE DESTROYED!!!” He slammed his fists down, attempting to squash the Pegasus in one strike. As he moved his fists away from the impact, she was gone.

Daring Do came from behind, flying full bore into the beast’s back and headbutting him with a large impact. Ahuizotl reeled forward, catching himself and looking back at his nemesis. He flicked his tail, reaching his third hand towards her and gripping her tail tightly. With one swift motion, he slammed her into the ground behind him, flicking her around on the ground like a ball on a string multiple times. Having had more than enough of that treatment, Daring flared her wings and fluttered them in a circular pattern, lifting herself slightly in the air as a gust of wind came through the area, knocking Ahuizotl off balance and lifting Daring Do higher into the air as she extended her wings. Her tail slipped from the beast’s grasp as she landed in the circle across from her rival.

“I wouldn’t have to interfere with your schemes, Ahuizotl, if you didn’t have such nefarious plans for everypony!” She ran under the beast, sliding on her side to trip up his hind legs. “But this time, you made one mistake!” She bucked him in the rear, sending him falling on his face. “Normally, I don’t have a reason to stay and fight, because there’s always some relic or magic that needs my attention more than you do… But not this time!” She flew up above him, then performed the circular fluttering once more. Another gust of wind sent her rocketing into the monster’s back, making him cry out in pain. “You’ve got all of my attention now, and that means you’re going down!”

Ahuizotl fumed, pounding the ground below him as he threw himself off the ground to face the mare once more. “You say that so easily, Daring Do, but you forget!” He snapped the fingers on his tail. “I did not come alone!” He pointed forcefully at her. “ATTACK!!!” The big cats that encircled them all lunged forward, making to pounce at the equine that menaced their master. Daring Do smirked, taking to the air once again and turning towards the desert.

“You’ll have to be able to reach me first, Ahuizotl!” She began to fly towards the desert.

“Daring Do, if you so much as flap in any direction away from this, I will unleash my warriors on the village!” the blue beast threatened. “Every stallion, mare, and foal will become food for my pets, and all because you were a coward who did not stay and fight!”

Daring stopped, looking down at the beast that would boast to best her. “Okay… I won’t fly away…” She came in for a landing behind Ahuizotl, looking back and flashing a smile. “In that direction!” Flaring her wings once more, she made the same circular fluttering motion as before, and a gust of wind pushed against Ahuizotl and the felines beside him, preventing them from moving forward as the adventurer flew off towards a nearby pyramid, followed from above by an orange streak with a blue lightning bolt inside of it.

Ahuizotl roared, running after his hated enemy with his felines in tow. Inside the pyramid, Daring Do stood in front of an empty pit, a challenging smirk on her muzzle as he glared back.

“Coming in here was a mistake, Daring Do!” He declared, making ready to charge. “This place’s magic prevents you from using your precious wings! And now you are at my mercy!” He ran recklessly at Daring, shaking the ground with every step.

Daring Do made one more circular flutter with her wings, and a gust of wind blew at Ahuizotl and his warriors from the entrance of the pyramid, more powerful than any wind before it. She ran at Ahuizotl once more, skidding under him and tripping him up as the wind blew him forward into the pit. Looking back as his feline warriors fell in with him, he grabbed for the ledge, only just barely latching on with the hand on his tail. Just outside the entrance, he saw an orange stallion whose wings were spread, looking fiercely at him with a jolt of electricity in his eyes. Daring Do walked to the edge, looking down upon her enemy. “Truth be told, Ahuizotl, I didn’t come alone! If I didn’t take measures to ensure your defeat, I knew the village would be doomed!” She bucked the hand that grasped the ledge, sending the beast plummeting into the pit.

Landing with a loud thud, Ahuizotl got up, shaking a fist. “The joke is on you, Daring Do! For the village is doomed either way! If my army does not hear from me in the next five minutes, they are ordered to attack, and leave nothing in their wake!” He raised his hands as if clutching the air around him, bursting into maniacal laughter. “And when I get out of here, I will dedicate my every waking moment to hunting you down! YOU WILL NEVER BE FREE OF ME!!!”

Daring Do gave her foe one last, cold look. “That’s why I led you in here. Because I can make sure you never leave!” She made for the exit, leaving the beast in the pit with his felines. Slowly, the telltale sound of the movement of heavy stone signalled the closing of the entrance, locking them in. Ahuizotl jumped up, grabbing the ledge with his arms and pulling himself out. He ran for the door. Such a trifle couldn’t possibly keep one as strong as he trapped. He pushed against the stone, finding it sturdier than he expected. He pounded on the door furiously, without a single budge to it.
Outside, all of the strongest Earth Ponies of the village were gathered, piling stone after stone over the entrance, with several more piled atop the roof opening. Daring Do flew between the groups, inspecting the quality of the work and nodding in approval. Boltsinger flew up next to Daring, looking concernedly at the village in the distance.

“I know we were expecting this, but I’m still worried.” He told the mare. “Twilight’s magic is great, but her protection spell isn’t quite as strong as her brother’s. If those cats break through, she and Rainbow are gonna have one hay of a fight on their hooves. I’m gonna head back, all right?”

Daring Do nodded as the two took off for the village. When it came into view, a large force of big cats was scratching at a sizeable barrier that surrounded the town. Twilight and Rainbow Dash hovered in the middle of town, where the Princess was straining to keep the barrier up as the assailants rammed into it, cracking further with each impact. The two Pegasi outside the barrier closed in as the cracks reached the top. The spell shattered, and an exhausted Twilight fell to the ground, Rainbow Dash rushing to her side and holding her up. The felines charged into the town, pouncing at the first thing they saw. Several food carts were destroyed, stalls wrecked with their stock consumed or shredded.

Twilight looked on at the onslaught of claws and fangs headed her way, standing up and planting her hooves. She flared her wings and lowered her head, magic welling up in her horn as she dragged a forehoof along the ground. Rainbow Dash landed next to her friend, ready to charge in if need be. The two snorted hard as the felines ran for them, beginning a charge of their own. As they charged, a loud yell could be heard in the distance.

“I WON’T LET YOU HURT THEM!!!” The voice screamed. With a ground-shaking thunderclap, Twilight and Rainbow reared back, stopping their charge. There, Boltsinger stood, angrily bucking away an oncoming tiger. “You all right?” He asked. He turned around, giving his wings a good, hard flap, which sent three more incoming felines flying farther away. “I’ve got your backs!”

Twilight nodded, galloping over to the stallion and blasting a pouncing leopard with her magic. “And we’ve got yours!” Rainbow Dash and Daring Do came up on either side of them, both looking ready for a fight. They charged forth, meeting the army of felines head-on.

After an hour of holding off a throng of big cats, four winged ponies slowly walked over to the statue of Somnambula, collapsing. All through town, their opponents lay unconscious on the ground. Boltsinger rolled over onto his back, looking over at Twilight. “So… that happened…” He said.

“I’m just glad we had everypony evacuated as quickly as they did…” Twilight replied. “It’s a lot easier to protect empty houses than it is the ponies that live there…”

Daring Do sat up, looking at her friends. “Thank you for helping me to make sure they all had homes to come back to once this was over.” She got up and walked over to Boltsinger. “If you hadn’t shown up when you did, I’m not sure I would have been able to come up with this plan. Thank you.”

Boltsinger sat up, his wings and Cutie Mark finally back to normal. “It’s an honor to be of help.” He laid back again, still finding the idea of moving around difficult for the time being. “Can I stop moving now?”

Daring let out a chuckle, sitting back and leaning against the statue. “For now. Soon we need to get back to the inn. I’ve got some glyphs to track down, and I’d like to get a good night’s sleep in before I get back to that.”

Twilight, Rainbow, and Boltsinger’s eyes all immediately shot open, sitting up and looking at Daring with wonder. “You mean the ancient Pony-glyphs?!” Twilight inquired.

Daring looked at the ponies, rolling her eyes with a smile on her face. “Yes, that’s what I’m talking about.” She started the walk back to the inn. “I’d go into more detail, but I’m just too hungry to concentrate right now.”

Twilight and Rainbow looked at each other with an excited squee as they all got up to follow their hero. The sun began to set, and the two mares shared an extensive and deep conversation theorizing as to what the nature of the Pony-glyphs might be.

Daring Do looked fondly at the fans chatting behind her, rolling her eyes as she directed her attention forward. “Well, that’s going to be a story for another time…”

Nighty-Nightmare Night!

Moons passed in their typical way. Life in Ponyville had entered a new kind of norm for Boltsinger. He found that Twilight was much more open to having somepony to lean against while reading. But when she was in the midst of research, there was no tearing her away. Finally, the fall months had come, and everypony’s favorite night of the year was fast approaching. Boltsinger had a plan, but he needed some help from some very… interesting sources to pull it off.

Nightmare Night was a week away, and Boltsinger was preparing his case while he went to the abode of the one he needed to persuade. He had the candy, he had his costume ordered, and he had his act down. But in order to get it perfect, he needed an element that he had only experienced in one place.

Finally approaching the door, he knocked three times in succession, slapping his muzzle with his wings to psyche himself out. The handle of the door turned slowly, cracking just enough for a yellow coat and a soft blue eye to appear.

“Boltsinger?” A soft voice began. “What do you need? Is it about Nightmare Night? If it is, I don’t want any part of it!”

“Relax, Fluttershy, it’s not that big of a deal.” He told her, placing a wing on the door, but not pushing so as to not set her off. “It’s about Nightmare Night, yes. But it’s not you that I need.”

“It’s… not?” Fluttershy asked, opening the door to reveal a stockpile of various food items and books, several animals hard at work.. “What is it that you need?”

“The one that I need is…” He paused, wondering if he was making the right decision. “Angel.”

From behind Fluttershy’s head, a familiar pair of bunny ears rose up. Angel poked his head up, taking a look at the smiling stallion. He turned around, ploppping back down on Fluttershy’s back, crossing his forelegs in front of him.

“Angel? What do you need him for?” Fluttershy wondered. “What do you have planned for Nightmare Night?”

“Just something festive for everypony. Ponyville has done a lot for me, so I wanted to give something back to Ponyville.” He explained. “I’m getting some ponies together for various elements, and Rarity is making me a costume. But in order to get just the right amount of suspense, I need someone who can whoosh by behind everypony and make the hair on their neck stand on end.”

“Oh! Well, Angel is pretty good at that kind of thing.” the mare confirmed, turning so that Angel was in view. “What do you say, little bunny? You want to help Boltsinger with his project?”

“I promise I’ll make it worth your while.” Boltsinger said, leaning towards the bunny. Angel’s eyes opened as he lifted an ear to the stallion. He leaned in and began whispering in Angel’s ear, the tiny rabbit’s face perked up as more and more details went into his ear, and his face went from nonchalant, to excited, to downright sinister as he rubbed his paws together.

Three days later, Rarity came into the castle, floating a large bag on a hanger alongside her. She made her way to Boltsinger’s room as the sounds of diabolical laughter echoed through the halls with a deep, villainous voice. A shiver went down the Unicorn’s spine as she made her way towards the source of the sound.

In the hallway, Starlight trotted over to her fellow Unicorn, eyeing the bag. “Whatcha got there?” She queried.

“Oh, it’s an order for Bolt.” Rarity informed her. “He’s got some grand plan for Nightmare Night, and he ordered a special costume! I don’t know what all it entails, but I do very much look forward to seeing what he’s got in store.” The laughter sounded again, making Starlight jump slightly as they walked.

“Can I have a look?” Starlight continued, inching closer to the bag.

Rarity swiftly pulled it away. “You’ll have to wait until Nightmare Night, just like everypony else, darling.” She hovered it high above her head, letting it dance with her every step. “But I assure you, it’s magnificently terrifying, if I do say so myself!”

“Can you at least tell me what he’s doing?” the pink Unicorn pleaded, leaning in close as the laughter came once more.

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you. I simply cannot betray my Beautician’s Guarantee of absolute confidentiality!” Rarity said proudly. “Besides, everypony will find out on Nightmare Night. We’re planning on paying it a visit after the corn maze.” She stopped at the door that marked her destination, giving it a firm, yet delicate knock. “Oh, Boltsinger, your order is here!”

“Good… Good!” He opened the door long enough to fly out, grab the bag, and retreat into his room. “It’s perfect…” He declared, bursting into another fit of villainous laughter. The door opened again, Boltsinger standing in the doorway looking perfectly normal. “Sorry… Just getting into the part.” He told her, handing her several bits and a few pieces of amethyst. “Some gratuity, and a bit more for our... “ he leaned in next to Rarity’s ear, hiding his muzzle with a hoof. “... side project!”

Rarity laughed as she placed the items into her purse. “And don’t you worry about that project. Things are going along swimmingly, you’ll see.” She turned to leave. “Well, I will see you on Nightmare Night! Lots of orders to fill!”

As Rarity trotted off, Starlight leaned her head to the side to try and sneak a peek into Boltsinger’s room. The outfit bag hung in the closet, the lone item in an otherwise empty space. On the desk, there were several plans and scripts, and a little bunny-sized cape laid out. “You look like you’re preparing something big. Mind if I join in?”

“This time, I would have to say no. I want you and everypony else to experience what I have in store first hoof.” He slowly closed his door, an evil smile on his muzzle as he did so. “Trust me… You’re going to love it!” The door latched shut, Boltsinger’s villainous laugh echoing through the halls once more.

The night had arrived. Fillies and colts were running happily around Ponyville, all dressed up in fun costumes while being escorted by responsible adult ponies. The Apple Family’s corn maze was going in full swing, and there were decorations and games all over the place, ranging from spider-tossing to pumpkin catapults to bobbing for apples. Spike exited the castle, wearing a black mask, red cape, and blue gloves and boots with a belt around his waist. He held a bucket shaped like a jack-o-lantern, and looked excitedly at the town.

“It’s Nightmare Night! Finally!” He looked back into the castle. “Twilight! Come on! We’re missing out!”

“All right, Hum Drum, just give me a little bit more time!” She called from inside. After a few moments, she emerged, wearing a maroon suit and mask that bore white boots with another maroon stripe, coming up to an image of the star on her Cutie Mark. There was a silver piece at the base of her neck below a slightly flared-out collar that extended back behind her wings that matched a similar decoration that covered her horn, each decorated with a small magenta jewel with yellow goggles situated over her eyes. Her tail was the same as it always was, but her mane was flared and pulled back in a heroic fashion, appearing longer than it truly was. She stepped out of the castle and struck a heroic pose while looking at Spike. “Well? What do you think?”

Spike looked at Twilight with a sense of wonder. “That’s the costume you’ve been so excited about? You’re the Masked Matterhorn!”

“Yup!” Twilight confirmed, walking towards the town. “I wanted to change things up, this year! I bet nopony ever thought I would go out like this!”

The two made their way into town, Spike going up to every door with the foals, getting a fair share of candy that he sifted through greedily as he walked with the Princess. After some time with the various games, they headed to Sweet Apple Acres, where the corn maze was filled with screams of fear and delight. Applejack laughed as more foals came running out of the exit. She wore a red suit with black trim and a black mask. The v-neck in her suit had a green shirt underneath, and the trim on her hooves had golden apples on them. She wore a belt that held a lasso and two golden star-patterned horse shoes, with her mane and tail wrapped in green fabric. Spike and Twilight looked at their friend, who raised a hoof with a smile.

“So what do y’all think? Did I do it justice?” She asked. “I had a lotta help from Rarity on this, to be honest.”

“Are you… Mistress Mare-volous?” Twilight wondered, looking a little dumbfounded. “I thought we were the only ones doing this kind of costume!”

Applejack chuckled to herself and looked towards the corn maze. “Y’all here to do the corn maze with everypony? Rarity and Starlight are already inside. I think Pinkie’s still makin’ the rounds in town.”

“What about Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked.

“Can’t rightly say.” the work horse admitted. “She said she had some business over at the Castle of the Two Sisters tonight. We were all gonna head over there once everypony got outta the maze. Care to join us?”

“It’s already on my list!” Twilight answered, heading into the corn maze with Spike and Applejack following close behind.

An hour later, Twilight, Applejack and Spike could be heard screaming from inside the maze, the three running out and laughing like little fillies. They came to a stop at the gate to the farm, where Rarity and Starlight waited. Starlight was wearing a simple black dress and a distinctly pointy hat, looking around at the passing foals and occasionally letting out a high-pitched cackle. Rarity wore a deep purple suit with a dramatically flared out collar that featured blue diamonds all over. Her mane was curled up close to her head, it and her tail adorned with dazzling pink jewels much like the one present in her golden necklace. On her forelegs, just above her hooves, there were bracelets similar to the jewel on her necklace, and she wore a purple mask that flared out on the sides, while not impeding her vision.

Spike looked on at Rarity, hearts showing in his eyes. “You’re… you’re… Radiance!” He cupped his claws together by his head, swooning at the sight.

“You, too, Rarity?” Twilight queried, tilting her head. “What’s next, Pinkie is gonna run by as Fili-second?”

As if on cue, a pink and white streak zipped by. A skidding sound came from the distance, and Pinkie ran up to the others, wearing a full-body white mask-less suit that featured magenta arrows, one coming together from two arrows pointing down her neck, and another pointing forward from her flank on either side of her. There was trim on her legs that each led to a white balloon design. Her mane and tail, while maintaining their usual poofiness, were blown back in a stylized lightning bolt pattern. She had an obscenely large bag full of candy balanced precariously on her back.

Rarity blushed a bit as Twilight’s prediction instantaneously came true. “Well, I must admit, making Applejack’s costume was fun, and it brought back some nostalgic memories! So, I just had to make costumes for everyone. Although I see you beat me to it, Twilight.” Twilight gave an embarrassed nod as Rarity continued. “I even made an outfit for Fluttershy, but she’s not going to be joining us tonight. Oh well! Outfits for another time!”

“Hey, girls! You ready for some Nightmare Night fun?!” the hyperactive pony trotted in place, looking like she was ready to zoom off again.

“You know it!” Starlight replied. “We’re going to the Castle of the Two Sisters. Boltsinger has something pretty huge planned there, and I want to finally find out what that is!”

“He’s been really focused on it all week. I’ve even seen Angel running around the castle, not to mention all the other ponies he seems to have roped in.” Twilight went on. “I haven’t seen the castle so busy since last Hearths Warming!”

“Well, then, it should be one heck of a show!” Applejack said as the group began to make their way, Pinkie Pie and Spike stopping nearly everywhere on the way for more candy.

The ponies and their dragon companion made their way through the forest, coming up on the ruined castle. A number of storm clouds were gathered around it, each letting off bolts of lightning in sequence.

As they made their way to the entrance, Bon Bon, who wore a simple masquerade costume, sat at a desk, passing out tickets to ponies as they came up in a line that reached all the way back to the bridge. The line grew shorter every couple of minutes, as laughing ponies came out of various exits, each taking bits of candy with them from bowls placed just outside. Before too long, they found themselves looking inside, seeing a pitch-black hallway where a foyer once was.

“What happened here?” Twilight asked, cautiously stepping in with her friends in tow.

“Welcome, my little ponies, to my lair!” A deep voice sounded from above. “I hope you have come prepared, else you face the wrath of my mistress, the great Nightmare Moon!!!” Lightning struck from around the castle, the rumbling thunder shaking the ground around them. “I’ve much business to attend to, so you will have to entertain yourselves with my… friends… before I can see you personally! Now… enjoy your stay…” A familiar diabolical laugh sounded, reverberating across the halls and walls as the blackness fell away.

Twilight and company found themselves in what looked like a laboratory, a pony scientist with a tan coat, scruffy brown mane and tail and an hourglass Cutie Mark wore a long, gray trenchcoat, frantically working on some project in the room. In the center, there was an operating table with a sheet covering an extremely large body. Poking out from under the sheet was a beefy foreleg ending in a yellow hoof.

“Yes… YES!!! I’ve done it!!!” The scientist cried out, turning towards the table. “Derpy! Raise the platform!!!”

From above, a gray Pegasus with an off-yellow mane and tail, a bubbly Cutie Mark, and yellow eyes that pointed in separate directions flew into the room wearing a black cloak. She landed next to a lever, dragging her back left hoof behind her as she walked. “You got it, Doc!” She wrapped her forelegs around the lever, strenuously pushing it as the platform raised into the air from a mechanism below.

Lightning heated the air around the table, sending a bit of a jolt through several lightning rods situated at the corners of the rising platform. The doctor laughed as he looked on upon his work. “YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEESSS!” He screamed. “LLLIIIIIIIIIIFE!!! GIVE MY CREATION… LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIFE!!!” The lightning ceased, and the platform lowered back to the floor, the doctor upon it breathing heavily. He looked eagerly at the hulking mass under the sheet, seeing no response. He heaved a heavy sigh and turned around. “Blast it all! Another failure!” He slowly walked off, kicking various instruments as he made his way.

Derpy walked next to the doctor, patting him on the shoulder with a foreleg. “Sorry, Doc. We’ll get it next time!” The doctor sighed and kept going, leaving the room.

Twilight looked curiously at the operating table, seeing the hoof that poked out twitching slightly. The ponies stepped forward to investigate the body under the sheet, finding it blown away by a sudden burst of wind. Laying on the table was a hulking Pegasus pony whose body was covered in stitches. It wore a pair of pants over its hind legs, and its upper body had a jacket on that was clearly too small by multiple sizes. It was strapped down with what looked like metal bars.

“Ooh! What’s this?” Pinkie asked, pressing a button on a nearby panel. The bars fell from above the Pegasus, its eyes shooting open.

“YEAH!!!’ It yelled, the sound throwing away any question as to the identity of the pony. “I’M, LIKE, TOTALLY A MONSTER!!!” He jumped off the table and pounded the ground with his forelegs, shaking it even more. The visiting ponies let out a scream, running away as the Pegasus lumbered towards them. He knocked over a number of devices as he chased them, looking fierce, yet amused beyond reason. After several seconds of running, a pillar of flame formed between the ‘monster’ and the ponies, causing him to stop in his tracks. “AAHHH!!! FIRE!” He turned and ran back to his table. The walls from before came up, funneling them into a nearby hallway.

“I see you enjoyed your visit with Doctor Frankenstag!” The voice from before said, a whoosh coming from behind the group. Twilight and Starlight looked back, seeing nothing. Shivers crawled up their spines as another whoosh came, directing their attention forward. They looked around, seeing no sign of anypony else. Continuing on, the whooshing came by once more, a bouncy impact hitting Rarity’s back, then moving from pony to pony as they let out yells of their own as a tiny black bundle landed in front of them. It turned, revealing a familiar little bunny in a pitch-black cape, raising a foreleg and striking a villainous pose.

Twilight tilted her head at the sight. “Angel?” She wondered, knowing that the bunny had been at the castle all week. The bunny flashed a smile, revealing a set of fangs that made the group jump.

“Fear not, my little ponies. My delightful pet, Bunnicula, shall be your guide, that you won’t get lost.” The voice continued. “There are too many terrors here for any number of ponies to comprehend here in my lair.” Angel led them down a corridor, and into a large room with a single chair inside. “Should you find things you were not meant to, you may end up like this sad pony here…” Angel rushed over to the chair, where a pair of stallions dragged a crazed mare into the room. The mare screamed nonsensically, rambling on about things until she was strapped in, a metal hat-like apparatus descending onto her head. The mare pleaded with her captors to no avail, as one of them pulled a lever next to the chair. The lights of the room flickered wildly, electric shocks surging around the chair as the mare convulsed, letting out an unnatural scream. The lights eventually returned to normal, and the mare in the chair fell limp, foam dribbling out of her mouth. “It had to be done… But if you’re good little ponies, you’ll have nothing to worry about! Now, lead on, Bunnicula. There is much more to attend to…”

Angel gave a sinister nod, moving to the next corridor. Thunder rolled from outside, leading to the sound of a pipe organ playing ominous music. After walking for a while, Angel scampered off, leaving the ponies to their own devices in an empty room. It was decorated with dark balloons and streamers, looking like the most evil party anypony had ever seen, with a large box in the center of the room that had two doors on the side.

“Ooh! A party!” Pinkie cried, rushing over and looking at all the decorations in detail. “What’s so scary about this?”

“I can’t say.” Rarity stated. “It looks very… festive, if you ask me.”

Starlight rolled her eyes. “There’s probably some big surprise waiting in the box here.” She opened one of the doors on the box, poking her head in. “What?” She said, looking around to find nothing. “That’s strange…” She pulled her head out of the box, closing the door and taking a peek inside the other door. Still nothing. “Okay, this is just weird!” She turned to Twilight. “How about we open both doors at once?”

Twilight gave a nod and took a position next to one of the doors. The two mares looked at each other, each magically grasping one of the doors. “All right, on three…” They faced the doors, determined expressions present on their faces. “One…" Pinkie bounced up behind the two, looking over their shoulders with a curious smile. "Two…” Beads of sweat dripped down Spike’s face as he watched. “THREE!” The two opened their doors, seeing the same pitch-black nothing inside.

The mares turned away from the box, looking to investigate the room more. “Well, that was a let-down.” She said, hanging her head. “I guess they can’t all be--” She was cut short by a loud popping noise. The group looked at the source of the noise, seeing the box in the middle of the room fall to pieces with dark red confetti flying out along with several Earth Ponies in tattered clown costumes that featured serrated teeth in a creepy grin, outfits of several faded colors adorning their bodies and obscuring any possibility as to their identities. Starlight let out a shrill scream at the sight, running for dear life. Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie, and Spike followed suit, the creepy clowns getting on either side of the group until they were corralled into a nearby hallway, the door slamming shut behind them. Starlight hyperventilated, looking back at the door, then at the group. “Okay… That was pretty scary!”

“I’ll say.” Spike added. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you shriek like that!” He fell to the floor laughing as Angel appeared again, beckoning them along.

“Did you enjoy your little 'party'?” The voice teased. “I’m nearly ready for you, but you have to get to me, first!” With another laugh, Angel scampered down the hall, leading them down a winding corridor. At every twist and turn, what looked like ghosts would show up and let out a moan, flashes of lightning everywhere as thunder rolled in. From the walls, fanged ponies as pale as the snow would pop out, hissing in the face of some part of the group. They jumped, picking up the pace as they followed the bunny. Different spooks and scares lashing out and matching their pace as they went from a walk to a trot to a canter, all the way to a full gallop, the voice’s laughter sounding all the while and getting louder with each step.

The group ran, their breathing growing more panicked with each step, until a flash of lightning appeared in front of them. The group looked up, seeing a pitch-black storm cloud overhead, a rainbow streak flying around and slamming into it with each discharge.

“Rainbow Dash?” Twilight questioned, recognizing the streak.

The streak plowed through the storm cloud, breaking it apart with a massive discharge and rising to the sky above with her best diabolical laugh, performing a spin and making a full U-turn, crashing into the ground in front of them, her classic Shadowbolts costume on full display.

“Are you prepared?” She asked, rearing up and flapping her wings. “We’re ready to see you, now!” She let out a cackle and flew to the far end of the chamber, where a dark mist seeped into the room. The visiting ponies looked bewildered at what appeared before them as the mist rose and took shape. It formed into the visage of a large, pitch-black Alicorn with blade-like wings and a familiar starry mane and tail. It wore silver armor, and had a viciously fanged mouth. The image glared at the visitors, eyes white and vacant as it hissed and swooped down at them.

Twilight let out a yell and ignited her horn, a protective bubble appearing around herself and her friends as the image of Nightmare Moon flew into them. When the mist cleared, a black figure flew in from above, orange lightning patterns all over his body and bat-like wings. His mane and tail spread erratically out everywhere, and his eyes were as blank and white as those of the image that had previously been conjured up.

“Welcome to my domain, my little ponies!” He called out, his voice more powerful than ever. “Have you prepared your hearts to surrender to my great mistress?” He flew down, hovering in front of them. “For if you do not offer up tribute, your lives are forfeit!” He rose to the center of the room, the image of Nightmare Moon appearing beneath him, giant-sized and opening its mouth.

Spike and Pinkie looked at each other, then at their stashes of candy. Twilight, Applejack, Starlight, and Rarity all gave the pair a knowing look. Pinkie panicked. “NO! Not that! Anything but that…” the party pony cried, clutching her sack.

“Pinkie…” The others simultaneously started, the implications obvious.

“But… but…” Pinkie pleaded. The glares intensified as she hugged the bag tighter. “Awwwwww…. FINE!” She took the bag and dumped half of its contents at the feet of the image of Nightmare Moon. The open mouth of the vision chomped down on the candy, its eyes wincing as it all disappeared.

“That… was… NOT ENOUGH!!!” the black-clad Pegasus yelled, yellow discharges of electricity building around it as Rainbow Dash flew up alongside him. The two cackled and charged at the ponies below, the illusion following them with its wings spread wide. Twilight and the others let out one more scream as they turned to run, heading for the nearest exit. Lightning bolts struck the ground behind them with unnatural precision as they made their way, guiding them to a corridor of pitch black. They kept running until a light shone in the distance, taking them outside, where they found large barrels of candy on either side of the entrance, a sign next to each of them. They breathed heavily as Twilight walked up to one.

“Take as much as you left… Happy Nightmare Night!” She read, looking back at Pinkie.

“Really?” Pinkie asked, staring longingly at the candy. Twilight gave a nod. “WOO-HOO!!!” She cried, diving at the nearest barrel and jumping out with a full sack. As the rest of the group burst into laughter.

“Well, that sure was a hoot!” Applejack declared as they made their way back to the bridge.

“Well, it’s definitely got the right venue, but I believe the attractions could have been a bit more convincing.” Rarity suggested. “But, considering the talent, it was a marvelous show!”

“Now, now, it was his first time organizing something like this.” Twilight explained. “He didn’t even accept my help setting it up! He was too excited and… prone to maniacal laughter!” She giggled, looking back.

“Are you sure you’re not just saying that because of your ‘special relationship’?” Starlight teased.

Twilight laughed, picking up the pace. “I’m sure. Now, come on! There’s plenty more Nightmare Night where that came from!”

As the night wound down, Twilight, Spike, and Starlight returned home. Spike and Starlight retreated to their beds, Spike having a massive stomach ache from all of the candy, while Twilight looked back at the town. She looked up at the sky over the Everfree Forest, waiting for somepony to finally make his return. In true Boltsinger fashion, he soon fluttered to a landing in front of the Princess, his eyes back to normal and his wings drooping to the ground upon his landing.

"So how was your first 'haunted castle' performance?" Twilight asked, walking inside with him.

"Wings... tired... no more flying today, okay?" He replied, panting. "It was really fun, though. But clearly it was more than enough for the Power Ponies to handle."

"Well, all we had to do was make Pinkie live her worst nightmare!" Twilight joked. "It was nothing. But how did you get that illusion to do all of those things?" Boltsinger gave Twilight a deadpan look. "Zecora?"

"Zecora." He confirmed. "I couldn't do that kind of stuff by myself if I had a thousand years worth of study!"

"So, I've gotta know... What exactly are you?" the Princess inquired. "You don't look too different from your normal self."

"Well, Rainbow and I were pretty much two different versions of the same thing." he elaborated with a smirk. "Shadow-Bolts!" His smirk turned into a wide grin. "Get it?"

Twilight rolled her eyes, smiling at her favorite stallion. "Well, it's been a long night. I'm going to bed." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and went into a trot, swishing her tail against his muzzle as she went. "Happy Nightmare Night!"

Boltsinger stopped walking, waving a foreleg gingerly while his rump hit the floor. "Happy Nightmare Night..."

Author's Note

(EDIT) So, apparently there's actual "Frankenstein" literature in the lore, so I went ahead and made a slight edit to change it from "Frnakenhooves" to the proper name, "Frankenstag".

I know, this chapter was a bit random. And it's not the only holiday-centric one I have planned. But it was a fun one to write. I based the "haunted house" experience off of my own experience volunteering for them. In particular, the hallway of scares, the electric chair, and the creepy clowns coming out of the box. They were a bit more exaggerated for the sake of fun, though. Don't worry, though, next time there's a holiday theme, it's not gonna just be a fun little romp. I promise. Although there is gonna be some fun in it no matter what.

When Sun and Stars Align

Starlight Glimmer made her way through the castle on a beautiful autumn morning. She was looking up at the ceiling, various thoughts swimming about in her head as she remembered a deal she had made with Boltsinger. He did make a move on Twilight… Aaaaaand it worked! But… that means… She let out an audible groan, hanging her head. How in the world am I going to do this?

“Morning, Starlight.” Boltsinger called out from behind. Starlight took a look behind herself, seeing nothing. She felt a hoof poking her back from above. “Up here.” She directed her gaze upward, giving a small scowl. Boltsinger was laughing in the air.

Starlight lit up her horn, encasing the Pegasus in her magic and placing him on the ground next to her. “Next time, just walk, please.” She continued walking, her expression still sour.

“Sorry.” He said with a laugh, catching up to her. She didn’t respond, facing ever-forward with the scowl of the century. “Are you okay? Did I do something wrong?”

Starlight sighed, her frown finally relenting. “Well… Kind of, I guess.” She told him. “You remember that deal we made?”

“That you would come to my haunted castle on Nightmare Night?” the stallion guessed.

“No… Before that.” the Unicorn corrected.

“Deals…” Boltsinger started, grasping his chin with his wing in contemplation. “I got nuthin’.” He shrugged, continuing on.

Starlight grew visibly frustrated. “Come on, you remember. It was about you and Twilight…?” The Pegasus strained, doing his best to remember, then blew a raspberry, hanging his head in defeat. Starlight shook, rising into the air with a face as red as Big Mac’s. “We agreed that if you made a move on Twilight, then I WOULD MAKE A MOVE ON SUNBURST!”

Boltsinger winced, feeling the full force of her comment as the words echoed through the halls. “Oh yeah… That…” He finally said. “But… You know, technically she’s the one that kissed me. All I did was say words.”

“Just ‘say words’?” Starlight repeated, her frustration growing. “From what Twilight told me, you practically poured your heart out! If that’s not ‘making a move’, I don’t know what is!” She stopped for a while, slowing her breathing back to normal. “And I… I don’t know if I can do that with Sunburst…”

“I’ll tell you what.” he started. “Why don’t we have some breakfast, and then we can come up with a plan when you’re not…” Starlight’s stomach rumbled. “Hungry.”

Starlight took a deep breath, finally regaining her calm. “That’s a good idea.” She started a trot down to the dining room. “I’m so hungry I could beat Pinkie in an eating contest!”

Boltsinger snickered, looking questionably at the mare. “I doubt that, but let’s eat anyway.”

“Wait, you made what kind of deal?” Spike asked as he placed the meal on the table. “I don’t quite understand…”

Twilight giggled as she floated her food onto her plate. “I’ll explain it to you later.” She cast a glance towards Starlight. “How come you never told me about your feelings for Sunburst?”

“Well, it wasn’t really important, so I figured I wouldn’t bother you with it!” Starlight told her.

“It wouldn’t be a bother.” Twilight corrected. “You can talk to me about anything. You know that.” She looked over at Boltsinger, resting her head on a foreleg. “So, what do you know about it?”

“Well, I only guessed it back when we were in the Crystal Empire at his house.” the stallion said, looking back. “You two were so engrossed in your conversation that the conversation just drifted into… well, that.”

“So, Starlight, how do you plan on ‘making your move’?” the Alicorn wondered, taking another look back at her student.

“Um… I have no idea.” She announced with a shrug. “I was hoping it could just… happen? I don’t know. Maybe I’ll ask around a bit.”

“Well, if you need any help, just ask.” Boltsinger stated, Twilight nodding in agreement. They finished their breakfast in relative peace, Starlight getting up with a sigh soon after and heading for the door.

Starlight made her way through a stunning gem-filled cave, looking longingly at her reflection in the facets of the beautiful rocks. She was on her way to see Maud, hoping some clear-headed conversation would help her forget about all this Sunburst business. She made her way deeper into the cave, coming out to a beautiful cavern that had been set up with all sorts of living arrangements, Maud wandering about in her typical slow fashion.

“Hi, Maud! How’re you doing this morning?” Starlight greeted, drawing the geologist’s attention.

Maud turned to her friend, blinking slowly. “... Hi, Starlight.” She replied, walking over to the visitor.

“Find any good rocks lately?” the Unicorn asked, leaning to look behind her.

Maud turned and walked over to a large pile of rocks. “... No. This is my day off.” She slowly sat on the pile, it forming into a seat below her.

“So, what do you do on your days off?” Starlight inquired, sitting on the floor across from her friend. “Got anything planned for today?”

“... I was planning on writing some poetry.”

“Great! Can I hear some?” Starlight requested. Maud got up and walked over to her desk, pulling a scroll out of the top drawer and placing it on the desk.

“... This one is about rocks.” She started. Starlight looked eagerly at her friend. Maud blinked. “They’re all about rocks…” Starlight’s smile lost some of its truth as Maud began her poem. The poems droned on for two hours, Starlight’s smile fading completely as the sixth poem came to a close. Maud looked up from her scroll, slowly blinking and cocking an eyebrow at her guest. “... What’s wrong?”

“What?! Nothing!” Starlight lied, swinging a hoof lightly in front of her. “There’s nothing wrong. I definitely wasn’t thinking about anypony and wondering how I was going to approach him!”

“...You mean Sunburst, don’t you?” the geologist guessed. Starlight sank into herself, giving a small nod. “... That’s something you should talk to him about. It’s really not complicated.”

Starlight gave the Earth Pony a hopeful look. “You think so?” Maud nodded, putting her scroll away. Starlight got up and trotted past the poet. “You’re the best, Maud! Thanks!” She broke into a canter, heading back up to the surface.

Behind the Castle of Friendship, a familiar wagon was parked. Inside, a familiar voice was grumbling.

“Those darn salesponies getting new acts after just a few months!” It said, the sound of things falling all over the place evident as Starlight trotted by. “I’ll get them back for this! No one trades up from the Grrrreat and Powerful Trrrixie and gets away with it!”

Starlight stopped, looking back at the wagon. “Trixie?” She started, moving up next to the door. “You’re back from Las Pegasus? What happened?”

Trixie poked her head out of the opening. “Those blasted swindlers ‘traded up’ to some big glamorous magic act and fired me!” She explained. “They went on about how ‘demanding’ and ‘overbearing’ I was! They didn’t even realize what a talent they had!”

Starlight softened, putting a hoof on the illusionist’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.” She started. “I’m sure you’ll get another big break, though. Those two don’t know what they’re missing!”

Trixie let out a sigh, putting her hoof on her best friend’s foreleg. “Thanks.” She said, calming down. She opened up the bottom of the door, coming out to join Starlight. “So where are you going?”

Starlight smiled, her cheeks giving away a hint of her emotions. “I’m going to go write a letter to Sunburst.” She informed her. “Gotta tell him something I’ve been meaning to for a while…”

Trixie leaned in. “Really? You mean you’re finally going to--” she gasped, shaking her head. “Through a letter? Absolutely not! You have to do something much more amazing. Something show-stopping!”

“Are you sure? I dunno if Sunburst would really want something that grand.” Starlight wondered. “I know he likes stage magic, but… I’m not sure…”

“Trust me, Starlight. Have I ever led you astray?” Trixie leaned in close, emphasizing her question. Starlight gave Trixie a blank look, remembering Trixie’s many screw-ups. “Recently. Have I ever led you astray recently?”

“Well--” Starlight began, getting cut off as Trixie wrapped her foreleg around her best friend and dashing away.

“Pack your things! You and I are going to the Crystal Empire!” Trixie announced, shoving Starlight into the door of the castle and slamming the door between them. Starlight could hear some excited laughter going back towards the back of the building, then let out a sigh as she made her way to her room.

Starlight and Trixie were on the Friendship Express, making their way to the Crystal Empire. All the while, Trixie was working on some kind of spectacular romantic plan for Starlight to show to Sunburst. She listened to her friend, but in the back of her mind, she looked at the approaching empire, seeing a familiar orange and blue streak flying towards it as the train puttered on.

“Are you ready to give Sunburst a day he’ll never forget?” Trixie asked excitedly, pulling Starlight’s attention away from the window.

“Uh… Sure.” Starlight responded. “What’s your plan?”

“Well, it’s not so much a show as it is an ‘experience’.” She explained. “I’m going to send you two on your own personal adventure!”

The two got off of the train, Trixie pulling her wagon behind her as they walked. Trixie made various stops along the way, utterly enraptured by the majesty of the place. Starlight would stop sometimes and explain the things she saw or try to talk her out of an impulse buy. Her thoughts always drifted to the task at hand, wondering what exactly the magician had planned, and why it made her so nervous.

As they approached Sunburst’s house, Starlight stopped for a moment. This was it. Today, she was going to make her move. She looked around the area to see if she could find any possible reason to delay this fated meeting. There was nothing new or interesting, save for some cracks in the ground that weren’t there last time. Letting out a sigh of defeat, she walked over to the door, tapping it a few times.

“Coming!” Sunburst called from inside. “This is the second visitor I’ve had toda--” He cut himself off as he opened the door, seeing Starlight and Trixie. “Oh! Hey, Starlight! Hi, Trixie.” He waved to each of them. “What… brings you here?”

“Oh, we... just... felt like paying you a visit!” Starlight told him, scratching her mane and blushing. “No other reason, really!”

A familiar stallion’s head peered out the door from the side. “You sure that’s the reason?” He asked, his face flat with a cocked eyebrow.

“Boltsinger? What are you doing here?” Starlight asked, taken aback by his presence. He stepped forward, revealing his rigid wings and crackling Cutie Mark. “Oh. That. But… you were in Ponyville just this morning! Doesn’t it normally take you longer to get somewhere?”

“Rainbow’s training paid off. Either of you have something I can help with?” Boltsinger inquired. “Sunburst doesn’t have anything I can do right now, but if you two have plans, then there’s probably something you need me for.”

“Actually, I think I have a use for you!” Trixie exclaimed, pulling the Pegasus aside. She started whispering in his ear. His eyes widened with dilated pupils. He leaned in as the blue Unicorn elaborated.

“Seems… a bit excessive, but I see where you’re going. I’ll pitch in.” Boltsinger confirmed.

Trixie beamed, pushing Starlight towards Sunburst. “You two catch up. Bolt and I have some plans. And, Starlight?”

“Yeah?”

“Make sure you head out in…” She looked back at Boltsinger. “How long?” He whispered into her ear. “Two hours!”

“Ooooookay... “ Starlight replied, she turned to Sunburst, where the two sat and pulled down some magic books, the door closing as Boltsinger and Trixie went off in the direction of the main city.

After some magic discussion, Starlight and Sunburst left the house, as per Trixie’s suggestion. Everything seemed normal, save for the massive group of Crystal Ponies eyeing them as they made their way. They seemed to be guiding them along to a specific location.

“Starlight, do you have any idea what’s going on?” Sunburst wondered, taking a look at all of the creepily smiling ponies. “Everypony is acting… strange.”

“I don’t know…” Starlight told him. “I think I have an idea, but… This is just weird.”

The two continued along the strange path of ponies, coming to a gazebo with a picnic laid out under it. The ponies around had cleared out, leaving the area totally secluded. Starlight turned to Sunburst, shrugging as she took a seat on the blanket and patted the spot next to her with her foreleg. Sunburst looked around, confused, but relented. He happily took a seat with her.

“It does look like a delicious spread.” He stated, reaching for some of the food before them. “But… why is this even here?”

In that moment, magical fireworks began going off around them as a song began to play from behind a wall of magical smoke. Flowers bloomed around them, several voices joined in.

“Is this…?” Sunburst began.

“Trixie? Yeah. I think Boltsinger is the one doing the singing here.” She listened carefully to the music. “Yeah, about… five of those voices are just him. Wasn’t expecting Trixie to be part of the song, though.” She let out a laugh, Sunburst joining in. They continued their meal as the song played, often taking glances at one another, but denying it once the other caught on.

“Why is Trixie doing this?” the crystaller asked, taking a bite of a sandwich.

“She has some idea in her head that I need to do something really grand to tell you something really important.” Starlight blurted out. Her pupils shrank as she caught herself, raising her front hooves to cover her mouth.

“Something important?” Sunburst repeated. “What is it?”

“Nothing! It’s nothing! Did I say it was important? No… It’s not important in the slightest!” Starlight rambled on.

Sunburst chuckled, putting a hoof on her shoulder. “Starlight, calm down. It’s alright. You don’t have to say anything.”

Starlight looked into her friend’s warm eyes, her breaths slowing as she calmed back down. “Right… Thanks.” She scooted closer to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. The song continued into a section of pure accompaniment as a little breeze moved in next to Starlight’s ear.

“Starlight, you look like a nervous wreck.” Boltsinger’s voice came from the breeze. “Before things can get… out of hoof… I want to let you in on a little secret.” Starlight directed her eyes towards the source of the breeze, more than a little intrigued. “You’re not the only one I’ve talked to about your relationship. Before the Gala, I talked a little with Sunburst about it, too. He said, and I quote, that he would ‘take any chance to be with you’. I’m certain that if you just tell him, you’ll be fine.” The breeze faded as Starlight turned her full attention back to Sunburst.

As the song ended, the mist went away along with the magical flowers. And Starlight and Sunburst looked at each other awkwardly.

“Well that was… weird.” Sunburst said. “What on earth was Trixie trying to do?”

“Um… Well, the thing is…” Starlight started. She looked around to see Trixie looking hopefully at them, Boltsinger nowhere in sight. “Come with me. I don’t think I can… do this in front of anypony else.” She lit up her horn, her magic teleporting them back to Sunburst’s abode.

“Okay… What do you need to do?” the cloaked pony asked, tilting his head.

Starlight closed all of the windows in the house with her magic, making sure nopony could see what was about to go down. “I’m not quite ready yet. Just give me one more minute!” She floated a number of books over along with a quill and parchment, looking between all of them and writing furiously. “Okay… This should work...“ Her horn shone brightly, a magical force spiraling around the two, making them appear in a black space and standing on the image of a rapidly beating heart. “This is… This is a space where I can’t not be totally honest with you.”

“So, you have to tell me whatever is on your mind?” Sunburst inquired. Starlight gave a shy nod. “Okay, then, what is on your mind?”

Starlight sat down, holding her tail with her forelegs. “Well… You see…” The blackness around them shifted to an image of Sunburst in a flattering pose, hearts making up the majority of the background. The bespectacled stallion looked at the image with his mouth agape, directing his attention back at Starlight, gulping. “You are what’s on my mind…”

“Wow.” Sunburst responded, dumbfounded. “Starlight… I-I don’t know what to say... “

“I understand if you’re weirded out by all this…” she continued. “But I’ve been wanting to tell you this for such a long time, and… and…”

“I love you, too, Starlight.” he interjected. “I have for a long time.”

Starlight looked up from her tail, seeing Sunburst’s inviting eyes. “Wait… really?”

“Starlight, you’re the best friend I’ve ever had!” he exclaimed, spreading his forelegs. “Getting to meet you again after so many years, my whole life changed for the better. I’ve always known I had you to thank for that, and I even got my best friend back, to boot!” He lifted Starlight’s chin with a hoof. “And being with you always makes me feel complete. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.”

Starlight’s eyes grew wide, a certain glimmer present as she rose to her hooves. She lunged forward, pressing her mouth up against Sunburst’s as the spell faded, the room turning back to normal. Boltsinger and Trixie were standing in the living room, looking at the Unicorns laying on the floor with smug smirks on their muzzles.

Boltsinger turned to Trixie. “I told you your little plan was excessive. But, whatever works, right?” His wings and Cutie Mark returned to normal.

“Please, if I didn’t do something grand for her, what kind of friend would I be?” Trixie retorted. “Certainly not her Grrrreat and Powerful best friend!”

“You’ve got me there.” Boltsinger replied.

Starlight and Sunburst separated, standing and looking at the observers with the brightest blush either of them had ever seen. “Well, Bolt… I finally held up my part of the deal.”

Sunburst gave them a confused look. “Deal?”

Boltsinger and Starlight laughed as the mare booped the wizard on the horn. “I’ll explain it to you later.” she let him know. “You two can go ahead and go back to Ponyville. We’ve got some… things to take care of.”

Boltsinger nodded happily and turned to leave. Trixie lingered a little, giving Starlight a sly wink as she loosed a smoke bomb, disappearing from sight as the new couple turned to face one another with a smile.

Author's Note

So, for the song that played during the fancy picnic... Or, the picnic in general, I dunno how "fancy" it really is... Anyway, the scene in general is a reference to the musical number of "Kiss The Girl" in Disney's Little Mermaid. You can pretty much put that song in that place, and you'll have what I was thinking of. Sadly, the lyrics escape me and I didn't want anything like that to get in the way of the core of the scene. Sorry this chapter was a bit slower than the others. But the next one is already started, and will be on its way before too long! Enjoy!

To Warm The Hearth

On a lonely winter night, the figure of a stallion emerged from the last train of the day. He held a box on his back, slowly but surely making his way through Ponyville, doing all he could to hide himself from the sight of other ponies. The town was filled with festive decorations for everypony’s favorite winter holiday. Strings of multicolored lights were strewn across the roofs of every house, with giant candy canes sticking up out of the snow, and snow-ponies lining the streets. Everywhere, there were signs of festivity and fun. And why would there be anything else? Tomorrow was Hearth’s Warming Eve!

The stallion looked around town, trying to find his destination. This was his first time in Ponyville, yes, but a big crystal castle couldn’t possibly be that hard to find, could it? He scanned the horizon for the star that marked the top of the structure. Once it was in sight, he made a beeline for the place, balancing the box as best he could with his wings as he ran. At the main entrance, he stopped, looking back and forth between the box and the steps leading up.

He let out a resigning sigh, making his way towards the door. “I’m already here… No turning back.” He said, bringing the box forward. “Not like I’ll ever have a use for the darn thing, anyway.” He placed it in front of the door, pushing it away from himself. “For what it’s worth, happy Hearth’s Warming, little brother…” He turned away, starting his walk back towards the train station as his eyes flashed green, causing him to wince in pain and gallop all the way back.

The day everypony was waiting for had arrived. Pinkie Pie bounded through town in a pink and white robe with a wreath on her head, ringing a loud bell with her prehensile forelock as she called out to the townsponies.

“Happy Hearth’s Warming, everypony!” She cried, shaking her head wildly so as to ring the bell. She greeted every pony in town as she made her way to all of her friends’ houses along the way to deliver holiday wishes, dropping off a festive yet unique cake at every residence. Finally, she made her way to the castle, four more cakes at the ready as she rang her bell. “HAPPY HEARTH'S WARMING, TWI-- Ooh! A box!” She looked at the plain brown box situated on the doorstep. She put the cakes down and picked the box up, shaking it. “I wonder who it’s from! Or who it’s for!” She knocked on the door as hard and as rapidly as she could. “Twilight! Starlight! Spike! Bolt! There’s a mysterious box at the door for you!!!”

The door opened with a magenta field around the handle, Twilight appearing to greet the party animal. “Good morning, Pinkie Pie! Happy Hearth’s Warming!” She greeted. She eyed the box in Pinkie’s possession. “Is this the box?”

Pinkie gave an enthusiastic nod, the bell ringing in the Alicorn’s ear. “Yup! And I brought everypony some cake!” She bent down and picked up the four cakes again, passing them off to Twilight’s magic. “Well, gotta go! Happy Hearth’s Warming!” She bounced a few more times, waving to her friend and speeding away.

Twilight smiled at her festive friend, bringing everything inside. The castle was elaborately decorated, ribbons, garlands, and hanging snowflakes everywhere. She took everything into the throne room, where a large pile of gifts was situated under a beautifully decorated tree. She sat in her throne, putting the cakes down and further investigating the brown box. After a minute of inspection, the door opened once more, Boltsinger coming in with a box under his wing while he belted out the song performed by the Spirit of Hearth’s Warming Presents in her favorite holiday story.

“And the reason is to be with your friends!” He sang, bringing his box over to the tree and placing it atop the pile.

“And the reason is to be with your friends~!” she repeated in her Pinkie Pie voice, trotting over and giving him a quick hug. “And where have you been?”

He motioned over to the box with his left wing. “Picking up one last gift. It’s been in the works for months, but it was ready just in time.”

Twilight peered at the box in question, her face lighting up with excitement. “Who’s it for?”

“Now, now, I don’t want to ruin the surprise.” He teased, the two moving back towards the map. He took a look at the brown box, curious. “So what’s in that one?”

“I don’t know yet. Pinkie found it outside.” She floated it over to him as she sat down. “What do you make of it?”

He poked it with one of his wings. “I don’t know. Add it to the pile?” He suggested. Twilight gave a nod and picked it up again, placing it next to the box that Boltsinger brought in. “So, what’s the plan for today?”

“We’re having a family Hearth’s Warming!” Twilight announced, rearing up excitedly. “My parents are on their way, along with Cadence, Shining Armor, and Flurry!”

Boltsinger gulped. “Your… parents, huh?” He tugged on his pendant with his wingtip. “Never met them before… Do they... know about…?” He motioned a hoof between himself and his special somepony.

Twilight laughed, pulling him close. “I sent them a letter about it right after we got together! Shining Armor knows, too. And Cadence… Well, she knew before we did.”

“What about Starlight?” the stallion continued. “She gonna be back from the Crystal Empire for everything?”

The mare shook her head. “Nope. She’s gonna spend Hearth’s Warming with Sunburst.” She picked up the cakes and started for the kitchen. “Wanna help me make breakfast?”

“You really have to ask?” Boltsinger replied with a grin. “I’ll meet you in the kitchen!” He flared his wings and took off down the hall, leaving a dust cloud in his image behind.

At the Ponyville train station, Twilight, Spike, and Boltsinger stood on the platform as the train pulled up. Twilight magically held up signs featuring two Cutie Marks, one featuring three purple stars, and the other featuring two crescent moons.

“Twiiily!~” A mare’s voice called from the crowd. Twilight flew up above to search for the source of the voice. Jumping up in the middle of the mass was a white Unicorn with blue eyes, her mane looked similar in style to Twilight’s, but had a ringlet hanging from the back, with a light purple and pure white alternating pattern and a Cutie Mark of three purple stars. Next to her stood a blue Unicorn stallion with a darker blue wavy mane and tail. He had gold eyes and the Cutie Mark of two crescent moons. “Over here!”

Twilight let out a happy squee and dove at her mother, giving both of her parents a big hug. “Mom! Dad! It’s so good to see you!”

The happy parents laughed as their royal daughter pulled them in. Her father looked around the crowd. “So, where’s Spike? And this stallion I’ve heard so much about?’

Twilight broke the hug, turning back towards town. “Oh, they’re over there.” She made her way over to them, parents following closely. “Mom, Dad, this is Boltsinger!” She announced, motioning to the stallion as soon as he came into view.

Boltsinger gave a nervous wave with one of his wings as they approached, Spike resting on his back. “Hello!~” He started. “Nice to meet you.”

“So, you’re the stallion that won over our Twilight, huh?” Her father asked, putting a foreleg around the Pegasus. “She told us you were a Pegasus, but you’re still… not quite what I expected.”

Boltsinger laughed to himself. “Yeah, I’m never quite what anypony expects.” He confirmed. “You… need any help with your luggage, Mister Sparkle?”

The father smiled, lighting up his horn as the saddlebags that sat on his and his wife’s back floated onto Boltsinger’s back, causing his legs to buckle slightly under the weight. “Thanks! The name’s Night Light!” He patted the Pegasus on the back, making his knees buckle some more.

Twilight’s mother trotted over to Boltsinger. “I’m Twilight Velvet!” She started. Boltsinger cocked an eyebrow. “I know! It can get confusing. You can just call me Velvet!” The Pegasus’ face calmed down.

“Well…” he strained, turning towards the town. “Let’s get these bags to the castle!” He started the walk, one strenuous step at a time. “So, when are Cadence and Shining Armor supposed to be here?”

“Right now!” a stallion’s voice called from behind him. Boltsinger raised his head and looked back. Shining Armor trotted over from the train and patted the Pegasus on the back, causing him to fall to the ground. “Good to see you, Bolt!” He knelt down beside him. “You need some help with that?”

Boltsinger worked his way back to his hooves. “Nah. I’m good.” He said, knees still shaky. He looked back at Twilight’s parents. “How much did you pack?” The two Unicorns smiled and stepped aside, motioning a foreleg each to a large pile of bags. Boltsinger’s face sank as he walked over to them, taking a look back at Shining Armor. “You know, I think I’ll take you up on that offer…”

Shining Armor laughed and lit his horn, the entire stack rising up into the air and moving them forward. He trotted past the straining stallion, whipping him on the flank with his tail as he passed by. “Good choice. Mom and Dad go a little ‘overboard’ with the presents on Hearth’s Warming.”

“And how many of those presents are for Flurry?” Boltsinger inquired, getting used to the weight.

“Oh, only about half of them!” Velvet answered. “By the way, where are Cadence and the baby?”

“They’ll be along. Flurry wouldn’t stay in her stroller, so those two got off to fly here when we passed Canterlot.” Shining Armor explained. “Twily, can you handle Flurry’s things?”

Twilight nodded and lifted one more large pile of luggage along, Spike picking up a few things that fell behind them. “Oh, I just know we’re gonna have such a good time today! We’ve got a lot planned!”

Thanks to the wonder of Unicorn magic, at least a wonder from the perspective of a certain Pegasus, getting everything into the castle wasn’t difficult in the least. After an hour of rest and a wonderful Spike-made lunch, the sound of landing hoofsteps could be heard on the balcony above.

“They’re here!” Twilight shouted, shooting out the door and up to meet her sister-in-law. Boltsinger smiled and followed suit, arriving just as the Princesses had just finished their traditional greeting. “How was your flight?”

“It had its share of turbulence.” Cadence admitted as Flurry jumped onto Twilight’s back. “But for her first long-distance flight, she did amazingly well!” She turned to Boltsinger, smiling. “So, shall we go in?” Twilight and Boltsinger nodded happily as they all made their way in.

The winged ponies all entered the throne room, where each other member of the Sparkle family was sitting in one of the many thrones around the map, Spike in his seat next to Twilight’s empty chair. Boltsinger guided Cadence to Applejack’s throne, closest to Shining Armor in Rarity’s. Twilight took a seat, while the one pony in the room without a horn flew over to Rainbow Dash’s seat. He looked over at Twilight, pointing to the empty throne nervously. Twilight gave a nod, letting the stallion take a seat in his flight coach’s throne. Flurry flew back and forth between the many ponies in the room, giving her grandparents big hugs and playing with Boltsinger’s wings.

“It’s nice to see you, too, Flurry Heart.” Boltsinger told the foal, tussling her mane with his wing. “Are you ready for Hearth’s Warming?” Flurry let out an excited noise, spinning in the air and landing in the middle of the map, standing on her hind legs with her forelegs spread wide, causing everypony to melt at the adorable sight.

After a briefing regarding the itinerary for the day, the ponies made their way into the library, where Boltsinger excitedly pulled out his favorite holiday book, A Hearth’s Warming Tail. He and Twilight sat together on the sofa and read through the entire story, alternating paragraphs. Every time they went into one of the more musical sections, the two would break into an impromptu performance, doing their best to match the tone of each scene while flying around the room. When they went into the part with Hearth’s Warming Yet To Come, Boltsinger did a solo performance in his deepest, scariest singing voice, Cadence reassuring her filly the entire time. When the performance was over, the two landed on the couch to the applause of the family around them.

Seeing the happy ponies, Boltsinger sat softly on the sofa, letting out a sigh as he leaned against the armrest. So this is what a real Hearth’s Warming is, huh? He pondered, quite pleased with the vision before him. I’d forgotten what it was like… He got up from the couch and made for the door while the family shared some stories amongst themselves. As he got to the large door, he heard a voice calling from behind him.

“Hey, where are you going?” Spike asked, coming up next to him. “We were just about to swap stories! Don’t you wanna hear any?”

Boltsinger grinned, looking back at the family. “I do, but… I want to give Night and Velvet some time without having to put up with the pony that ‘stole away’ their daughter. It’s the least I can do.”

“Don’t worry so much about it!” the dragon assured. “These are the ponies that raised the Princess of Friendship. If they weren’t friendly enough to include you, then Twilight wouldn’t have gotten where she is today!”

“You’ve got a good point.” he stated, looking back at the laughing ponies. “I guess I just feel like a…” He counted the number of ponies in the room, plus Spike. “An eighth wheel. Everyone else has this close family connection. I’m just Twilight’s boyfriend.”

“You want their approval, don’t you?” Spike asked, looking at him flatly.

“There’s that, too, yes.” Boltsinger answered, putting his rump on the floor. “I might be a little intimidated by them.”

“Well, suit yourself. I’m gonna go get some cocoa!” Spike ran out of the room, making a beeline for the kitchen.

Boltsinger smiled at the dragon as he left, looking back at the Sparkle family. Twilight brought up a foreleg, beckoning him back over. “Coming!” Boltsinger called back, walking back over and taking a seat.

“And that’s how Shiny-winy got his Cutie Mark!” Velvet finished as the Pegasus made his return. She looked over at the arriving pony. “So, you got any good stories?”

“I’ve got nothing.” He said, waving a hoof in front of him. “I never really did anything noteworthy until after I came to Ponyville.”

“Oh, come on, we know that you’ve been out helping ponies all your life.” Night Light replied. “There have to be a few times you’ve done something incredible in your day!”

“Well, I’ve never exactly been one for the limelight. I helped some ponies with performances at some points, other times I helped them get their Cutie Marks.” he continued. “They were the stars of the show each time. I just helped.” The Unicorns looked at him eagerly, as if demanding at least one tale. Boltsinger sighed, slapping his muzzle with his wings. “Okay, but I’ll warn you, this one is a doozy.” Twilight’s parents gave an understanding nod as the Pegasus began. His most notable story was the one where he got his Cutie Mark, and his wings took up their habit of whisking him away to different places. He followed up with the story of how he helped a Unicorn he now knew as DJ PON-3 to get her Cutie Mark, performing a number of sound tests and helping her fine-tune her sense of rhythm. Their mouths hung open as he finished, looking at one another, and then back at him. “And… That’s the best story I’ve got. What do you think?”

“I… don’t know what to say…” Velvet stated. “And you’ve been going everywhere thanks to those wings ever since?”

Boltsinger bowed his head. “Up until I crashed into a wall in Canterlot.” He tapped Twilight’s Cutie Mark with his wing, letting it linger for several moments. “Until I met Twilight and her friends.” Twilight smiled fondly, leaning against him.

“She does have a way of making ponies’ lives better.” Cadence stated, her husband smiling in agreement. “I’m glad one of those ponies got to become part of the family.”

Boltsinger looked questioningly at Cadence. “You think of me as part of the family?” He wondered. Cadence gave a slow nod of approval.

“I’m not the only one, of course.” The Crystal Princess informed him. She directed her attention to the filly on her back. “Right, Flurry?”

Flurry hopped up and down, nodding her head. She turned towards Boltsinger and jumped into the couch with him. “Bo-bo!” She cried, giving his stomach a big hug.

Night and Velvet turned to one another. “Well, that’s all the convincing I need.” The father stated, turning to smile at Boltsinger. Velvet nodded in agreement as Boltsinger wiped away a stray tear, returning Flurry’s embrace.

Shining Armor nuzzled his daughter and looked the Pegasus in the eye. “Hey, you alright?” He inquired. “You look like you’ve got a lot of ‘liquid pride’ ready to burst out!”

Boltsinger chuckled, releasing Flurry from the hug. “I’m okay. Just… feeling the spirit of things!” The ponies all got up, Twilight and Boltsinger headed for the kitchen, while Night and Velvet opted for a tour of the castle from Shining Armor.

“So, after dinner, we’re all going to open presents.” Twilight informed him. “I’ve got something special in mind, so be ready, okay?”

Boltsinger smiled at her. “You, too, huh?” He replied. “But first thing’s first, let’s feed those hungry ponies!”

As the tour of the castle came to a close, the guests to the castle came to the dining room, where a large traditional Hearth’s Warming dinner was laid out, Spike setting everything up while Twilight and Boltsinger came in, wiping themselves down after preparing the meal.

“Ah! Boltsinger!” Night started as he and his wife took their seats at the table. “Just the pony I wanted to see!”

“Oh? What’s on your mind?” the Pegasus wondered.

“So, we saw the hearth on our little castle tour, and I couldn’t help but notice something.” He continued. “You’re the only one who doesn’t have a Hearth’s Warming doll up there. Why is that?”

“Oh, I just don’t have one. Haven’t had a doll ever since I got my Cutie Mark.” Boltsinger responded. “I only went back to Vanhoover once since then, and… Well, it’s hard to stop by and grab mementos when you’re being run out of town.”

“Well, that’s sad.” Velvet commented. “We could make one for you if you want.”

Boltsinger shook his head as he sat down. “No, it’s fine. Let’s just focus on having a good Hearth’s Warming. One doll doesn’t make a difference.”

After dinner was all said and done, Twilight led them back to the throne room, each taking their own seats. Twilight lifted the gift pile, sorting out what she knew was going to specific ponies. Eventually, she came to the box Boltsinger had brought in in the morning, along with the one found outside the door, both placed in the center of the map. A multitude of books were unwrapped all over, Boltsinger looking excitedly at his. Flurry received a great many toys, leading to her lifting them all up and spinning them about the room with her magic to the enjoyment of her family. The piles got smaller and smaller as more and more gifts were revealed, coming down the the center boxes.

Boltsinger flew up out of his spot, flying over to the box he initially brought in. He brought it over to Twilight, putting it in front of her. “So, I’m pretty sure it was obvious who this was for.” He said, motioning to the box. It was a simple purple with a white star pattern. “I just wanted to save it for last.” He pushed it closer to her, smiling sheepishly as she leaned in.

Twilight lit up her horn, opening the box to reveal a brilliant pendant featuring an amethyst in the shape of a six-pointed star overlayed atop a white crystal in the same shape, looking much like her Cutie Mark. She magically lifted it out of the box, finding what looked like a clip on the back. “Oh my gosh…” She said, looking in awe at the jewelry. “It’s… beautiful!”

Boltsinger put his hooves forward, spinning it to let Twilight look at the back. “It’s also a hairclip! Just in case a necklace would get in the way, you can still have it on in a way that’s not… well, in the way!”

Twilight looked at it closely. “That’s pretty practical. Is this that side project you were doing with Rarity?”

“Yep. Originally, it was supposed to take just a few days, but she got so many orders that it took a few moons.” He admitted. “I wanted you to have something akin to the amazing thing you gave me. It’s not magical, but at least it’s multi-functional!”

Twilight dove forward, catching Boltsinger in the biggest hug she could give, the two falling to the floor. “I love it!” She sat up, putting it on. “Almost as much as the pony who gave it to me.” As Boltsinger sat up with her, she leaned in and nuzzled him, causing her family to let out an affectionate ‘aww’ at the display. “Actually, I’ve got a bit of a surprise for you later. I promise you’ll love it!”

“So, what about this one?” Shining Armor asked, pointing at the brown box at the center of the map. “Isn’t there a label or something?”

“We never found one.” Twilight answered, floating it towards her. “Pinkie found it outside the door this morning.” She shook it a little, not hearing anything from inside. “I guess there’s only one way to find out.” She sat back in her throne, pulling the paper off of the box. Her eyes widened dramatically as she took a peek inside, dropping the box on the map. "Um… Bolt? You need to see this…”

Boltsinger walked over to the box, looking into the tiny opening. “This is… How… How did this get here?” His rump hit the floor, hard. He opened the box the rest of the way, pulling out a small doll of an orange pony with a blue mane and tail made of yarn, purple button eyes and tiny wings on its back. “My… my old Hearth’s Warming doll… But, only one pony could have even come close to having access to it…” He looked at the doll, his eyes filling up with water at the nostalgia. “Brightling couldn’t have… Did he come here?” He put the doll on the map, taking off outside and positioning himself just above the star at the top of the castle. “Brightling! Are you here?!” He called out, sending the sound of his voice as far as it could go in all directions, extending out to the farthest borders of Ponyville and into the depths of the Everfree Forest. “Brightling!!!”

Twilight and her family sat inside, looking up towards the voice that reverberated through every inch of the castle. “I’d… better go check on him.” Twilight told them, flying out of the room as fast as her wings could take her. She hovered in the air beside the Pegasus, putting a hoof on his shoulder. “Bolt… He’s not in Ponyville…”

Boltsinger hung his head, his heart and his body sinking to the ground and landing on his rear. “I know… I just… hoped maybe I could reach him.” He turned his head to face Twilight. “I know he’s the one that brought it here… He didn’t have a reason to, but… he did it anyway…” He looked out at the horizon, where the sun was setting. “I want to believe that… I dunno… Maybe he’s not a complete slave to Sparks’ influence... “ He faced the Princess again, eyes watery once more. “Is it bad that I have hope for him? Hope for me?”

Twilight gave him a warm smile, pulling him close and cradling him in her wings from behind. “Not at all. It says a lot that you still believe in him after all that’s happened.” She gave him a kiss on the forehead. “And I’m sure that your hope won’t go unanswered.”

Boltsinger leaned forward, coming out of the wing cradle and putting his weight on his forelegs. “Thank you…” He finally said. “I should… probably explain that whole situation to your family, huh?”

“Maybe not quite yet.” the Alicorn replied. “We don’t want Hearth’s Warming to get any more sad than it already is today.”

“Sorry about that.” Boltsinger said as the rest of the family came out to join them. “I don’t know about all of you, but I think I’m tired.” The other ponies all nodded in agreement.

Twilight turned to Spike. “Spike, can you show my parents to their room?”

“You can count on me!” Spike confirmed, making a salute and running ahead.

Twilight turned to her brother and his family. “You know where to go, right?” Shining Armor nodded, starting towards the room set aside for his family. Once the two were out of sight, she turned to Boltsinger. “Okay, now it’s time for my surprise for you.” She started into the castle, the stallion following close behind.

They made their way up the usual route, Boltsinger looking back as they passed his door. “Uh, Twilight? My room is back there…” He informed her, pointing a wing behind them.

Twilight shook her head. “Not anymore~!” She stated, a tone of excitement in her voice. They continued on, coming to the door to what the Pegasus knew for certain was Twilight’s chambers. “I feel like we’re ready to go one step further! We already live together, and I do trust you. So…” She opened the door, showing the room mostly the same, but with a few noticeable changes. The first of which was that Twilight’s various outfits were now squished together into one side of the closet, with a familiar Nightmare Night costume hanging on the far edge of the other side. The second of the changes that the stallion could see was the extra set of pillows on the large canopy bed. It looked as if it were made for two ponies, and had a second nightstand sitting by it, a stack of familiar books sitting on it. “Your things weren’t difficult to move, since you don’t have much stuff, anyway.” She looked hopefully in his direction. “What do you think?”

The response to Twilight’s question was not exactly what she had expected. With an unnervingly audible thud, Boltsinger’s head had hit the floor, fainted from the shock.

Author's Note

I know, I know, I'm late with the timing for a Hearth's Warming chapter. I was told that before I even wrote it. But I felt like it was the best setting for the major events in the chapter to take place. Yes, there's oodles of fluff here, but there were certain emotions that I really wanted to capture here.
Ironically, on Christmas, I was actually writing the events from ten chapters ago! I even got two written in on that day!
Anyway, I'm sorry for the slower pace in releases. Some of these chapters are harder than others to write. I have a bit of an idea as to what's coming next, but you may have to bear with me here on how fast it'll come out.

The Next Step

Something felt a little different this morning. Boltsinger knew that last night was Hearth’s Warming Eve, and that today was going to be on the quiet side since the family had all done their festivities the day before. His bed felt a lot softer than normal, though. He opened his eyes, seeing a fancy canopy that wasn’t there before. There was a weight on his stomach as well. He took a deep breath, trying to sit up, but there was more weight on his shoulder. He looked at the source of it, seeing Twilight’s head resting there, her right foreleg spread out over his chest. His mouth opened into a perfect little ‘o’ shape as his pupils shrank. Well, this is unexpected… What happened last night?

Twilight stirred a little, gripping him tighter as she opened her eyes. She lifted herself up with a yawn, looking around the room and catching Boltsinger in her gaze. “Oh! You’re awake! Good morning!” She rolled over, giving him some space to move. “You scared me last night. Are you okay?”

Boltsinger sat up, looking at her. “Yeah. So, what exactly happened?” He asked, more than a little confused. “I remember you opening the door, and… my stuff was in here? After that, I don’t remember anything.”

“Oh! Well, I wanted to surprise you for Hearth’s Warming.” Twilight began, scooting closer. “And I felt we were ready to take another step together. So, I moved your things in here, since my room was bigger. And it’s not like we haven’t spent nights together before.” She got up and moved to her mirror, running a brush through her mane. “At least you didn’t go into a panic this time!”

Boltsinger got up from the bed, looking into the photo-lined mirror with Twilight. “Well, to be fair, I was the one that passed out first this time.” The two let out a laugh. “Are you sure we’re ready for this big of a step, though?”

“I know I am. I’ve been thinking about it for weeks!” she exclaimed. “What about you?”

“I don’t know... “ He admitted. “I was just so happy with things as they were, I never really thought about moving forward.”

Twilight put a hoof around him. “That sounds familiar. Like a certain stallion I know before he poured his heart out to the mare he liked.” She teased. “Take as much time as you need. I’ll be waiting.” She patted him on the back as he turned to leave.

The day was as quiet as expected. Boltsinger would often fly into the air and play various games with Flurry Heart while Twilight kept her parents entertained. Before they even realized, the holiday was over. Boltsinger sat in the library, looking for the book that had all the information on dating that he and Twilight had read. Once he fished it out, he plopped down onto the couch, skimming through as quickly as he could without missing any information.

“She said she’s been thinking about it for weeks… She has to have been looking through this again!” He told himself, turning the page once more. “Where is the section on this next step…?” He reached the end of the book, flipping it over and going to the table of contents. “If all else fails, I guess… Let’s see… Does this qualify as ‘moving in together’?” He skipped to the page indicated, looking it over. “Let’s see… ‘When considering the idea of moving in together, both ponies involved must trust one another completely…’ Twilight says she trusts me, and… I feel the same… But… I dunno…” He brought his wings forward, looking at them carefully. “It’s not that I don’t trust Twilight. That would be stupid. But…” He let out a loud yawn, closing the book and laying down. “Maybe… I…” Before he could finish his thought, his head hit the couch cushions, consciousness leaving him entirely.

Boltsinger walked through an empty hallway, feeling more tired than he had ever experienced in his life. He came upon a large door, smiling and pushing it open. Inside, there was an enormous and inviting bed. He fluttered his wings, rising up into the air and seeing the bed in full. Twilight was laying on her side, looking invitingly at him and patting the bed next to her. She sat up farther and beckoned him over with a foreleg. He let a goofy smile escape onto his muzzle, hearts in his eyes as he dove into the bed. The blankets fluffed up all around them, pillows releasing every feather inside. Boltsinger walked over to the content-looking Twilight, his wings stiff.

“Are you ready for this big step?” Twilight asked in a sultry tone, opening her forelegs to invite him in. “I trust you completely, you know…”

“Oh, I’m ready…” the stallion replied, nodding slowly so as to keep his eyes on the Princess before him. He brought his front half low, then leaped forward, diving into her. The two met in an embrace, falling to the bed below as the two giggled. Twilight looked longingly into Boltsinger’s eyes, leaning in close as his wings wrapped around her forelegs. He looked at his wings, wondering what was happening as they coiled in a strange way. “What’s going on…?” His wings continued their coiling, covering her forelegs entirely and lifting her into the air.

“I don’t know!” Twilight answered, struggling to get free. Boltsinger’s wings somehow extended, holding the Alicorn high in the air as an electrical current flowed through them.

“No… Please, wings, don’t!” the Pegasus pleaded. The electricity continued its encroachment, shooting up until it hit Twilight. “NNNNOOOOOOOOOOO!!!” Twilight let out an ear-shattering scream as lightning surged out of her body, disappearing in a flash. Where she was, a pile of ash had formed. Boltsinger fell to the ground, his wings returning to normal at his sides while a dark mist formed around him. He looked at the ash pile with tears trickling down his muzzle, all hope in his eyes lost.

From inside the mist, a green light shone. “You see? You destroy every life you touch…” a mare’s voice said. The light stepped forward, revealing the form of Dimming Sparks. “The simple idea that you would deign to get close to anypony is a disaster! Monsters like you aren’t meant to be happy!” She reared up, a sinister smile on her muzzle as she brought her hooves down.

“ENOUGH!!!” Another voice came from the mist as a chill wind blew it away entirely. Standing between Boltsinger and Sparks was an Alicorn mare whose coat was the same color as the night sky itself. She had a starry, misty mane and tail that flowed as if the wind blew gently through it at all times. She wore elegant silver shoes on each hoof and a pitch-black necklace that bore the same moon symbol emblazoned on her flank, along with a dark crown that rested against her horn. Her blue eyes looked fiercely at the mare in front of her, her muzzle showing gritted teeth. Sparks stood her ground, horn lit furiously as she grew in size, rearing back up as the Princess of the Night lit her horn in reply. “Boltsinger! Art thou alright?”

“Princess Luna?! What are you doing here?!” He replied.

Luna fended off a furious stomp from the giant mare. “I am here to protect you!” She created a bubble around the two of them, turning to face him. “Who is this pony? And why is her presence in your mind so ruthlessly strong?”

Boltsinger slowly stood up, looking at the giant. “That’s Dimming Sparks… My sister-in-law.” He informed her. Sparks took a step back, shooting a humongous blast of magical energy at the bubble and sending it rolling into a starry void.

“You’re not worth it, Boltsinger!” the giant screamed. “Everypony knows it!”

Luna turned back to face Sparks, flaring her wings and jumping out of the bubble. She ignited her horn furiously, loosing a blast several times her size at her foe. “You will not influence him any further! I will not let you!!!”

“No, Princess! Don’t!” Boltsinger shouted, running to the edge of the bubble and reaching his foreleg forward. “She’s too powerful!”

The giant version of Sparks let out a blast that matched Luna’s in both power and scale, the clash of the two energies causing a massive blue and green explosion as the Unicorn laughed to herself. She stepped forward, green cracks appearing in the ground where she placed her hoof.

“Fair Boltsinger, I am the Princess of the Night!” Luna began, straining to hold herself steady against the force she faced. “None are more powerful than I in the world of dreams!” Her eyes lit up, her magic growing in power and forcing the green energy back. She flapped her wings, moving towards the giant mare with a force unlike anything the Pegasus had ever seen before. Luna rammed into the giant mare, horn-first. The light engulfing Sparks’ horn faded as she stepped back, a black smoke coming from the hole made by Luna’s horn. The hole expanded, cracking all over and spreading through her entire body with green light. She let out a reality-distorting scream, the cracks engulfing her entirely, finally exploding in a cloud of green magic. Luna looked sternly at the shards of the nightmare as they scattered about, breathing heavily. Once everything was calm, she turned back to face the dreamer she had come to aid, moving the bubble he was in so as to place him in front of her. “If I am to be honest with you, I have been attempting to work my way into your nightmares for moons to no avail. I believe her presence in your psyche may have been the cause of it.”

“Considering the fact that her special talent is influence, and she can magically manipulate ponies to be something she wants them to be, I can understand that.” He told her. “I’ve been hearing her voice in the back of my mind for years, now. Always telling me that I wasn’t worth it for myself or anypony else… It wasn’t until recently that I even knew that voice was her.”

“I see… But that presence is not what troubles you so on this night, is it?” Luna inquired, sitting down. “It brought her to the forefront, but it is your own fears that plague you at the moment.”

“Yeah…” He admitted, looking at the ground below him. “I’m afraid of… well…” He lifted his wings, creating an electric spark between them. “These. You see, Twilight believes she and I are ready to take the ‘next step’ in our relationship, which, considering the fact that we already live together, means sleeping in the same room… and bed.”

“And why do your wings cause you fear in this regard?” Luna wondered, raising a hoof to her muzzle.

“So, I read in the dating book Twilight and I have been working with that ‘moving in together’, which is what this basically is, requires us to trust each other completely.” He continued. Luna cocked an eyebrow and tilted her head. “And we do trust each other! Trusting her is not the issue! It’s that… I don’t trust me. Whenever somepony is nearby when my wings start sparking the way they do, they are either whisked away along with me, or seriously hurt… Half the time it starts, I’m not even aware that it’s happening, and it has happened in my sleep before!”

“You know, though, that risk is a part of any friendship.” Luna stated. “The very Princess you are concerned for has risked her very being for others for as long as I have known her. I am certain she sees what risks present themselves with what she has deemed herself ready for.”

“You’re right, of course…” Boltsinger said, hanging his head. He let out a resigned sigh, looking the Princess in the eye. “I’ll talk to Twilight about it in the morning. Of that, you can be sure.”

Luna gave a warm smile, standing to her full height. “I am pleased to hear it. But I must offer up a warning before I depart.” Her look turned to one of regality. “I fear I was not able to eradicate the presence that plagues you.” She turned to walk away, looking back at the stallion. “Should it return, I pray you inform me. I suggest speaking with Twilight on the matter, as well. I may be able to step into your dreams, but the only way to truly heal such a wound is with the help of loved ones.” She flapped her wings, taking off into the sky above and disappearing into the moon. The light from her exit shone brightly, enveloping everything in view, including Boltsinger himself.

Boltsinger opened his eyes, seeing the walls covered in books and feeling the couch beneath him. He groaned, pushing himself up with his forelegs. His entire body ached, as if he had been thrashing around all night, confirmed by the presence of his most recently-read book lying on the floor, open and pages down.

“I need to talk to Twilight…” He said, slowly working his way to the floor. “I... need to…” His knees buckled underneath him, sending him falling to the floor.

As the thud of his impact sounded, Boltsinger heard galloping headed his way. A set of blue hooves on white legs came rushing to his side.

“Bolt!” Shining Armor called out, having heard the sounds of a falling pony from the hallway. “Are you okay?” He used his horn to work his head under the Pegasus’ body, lifting him up.

“I think so… Just had one hay of a nightmare, though…” He explained. “Thanks for this…” He pointed a wing at the older stallion, motioning between the two of them.

“It’s no problem.” he replied with a smile. “Where to?”

“I need to talk with Twilight.” Boltsinger began. “Could you take me to her?”

“I think I can manage that.” Shining Armor agreed. “Everyone is having breakfast soon, so she’ll be in the dining room. You look like you could use a good meal, anyway.”

“To the dining room, then!” Boltsinger proclaimed, pointing a foreleg forward as Shining Armor carried him to their destination.

In the dining room, a meal had already been laid out. Twilight was dishing out everypony’s meal as her brother trotted in. She smiled at him, raising a hoof to wave as she lifted another plate with her magic. “Morning, Shining Armor!” She started. “What took you so lo--” She dropped the plate, seeing a certain Pegasus draped over Shining Armor’s back. She leaped over the table towards them, looking at Boltsinger. “What happened?”

“You ever have a nightmare so bad that you feel like you didn’t sleep at all when you wake up?” Boltsinger lead. “Princess Luna says ‘hi’, by the way.” Shining Armor chuckled, lifting the orange pony with his magic and placing him in one of the chairs. “I’ll explain everything later. Food first.”

After breakfast came a time nopony was looking forward to. Cadence and Shining Armor gathered their things into what was a substantially larger stack than before, while Night and Velvet followed suit. Twilight gave each of her family members a farewell embrace as they left, paying special attention to Flurry. When they were gone, Twilight turned back towards the dining room, coming in to see Boltsinger working his way to his hooves. He waved a wing to greet her as his knees shook.

“Are you feeling okay?” She asked, ready to help at a moment’s notice. He nodded sheepishly, taking a few steps closer. “What kind of nightmare saps your strength like that?”

Boltsinger started towards the hall, beckoning her along with his wing. “So… there’s a few things... “ He told her about the dream that he had, leaving out some of the more embarrassing parts. Twilight looked puzzled as he described the battle between Luna and the mental image of Sparks, wondering how something born from a dream could ever be a match for the dreamwalker. They made their way into Twilight’s room, where he sat down and looked at the imposing bed. “And that leads me to the thing that caused it in the first place. I do trust you completely. And i know that you trust me. It’s more that I don’t trust…” He splayed his wings, twiddling the feathers. “These malfunctioning things. I don’t always have control, and when that happens… Well, you’ve heard about what happens when somepony is too close while they do their thing…” He lowered himself to the floor, putting his head on his forelegs.

Twilight stepped closer, laying in front of him and placing her hoof on his. “So that’s the issue you were having... “ She said with a relieved smile. “I wish you had told me sooner. I know you never told me directly, but I figured you’ve had times where you fly off in your sleep.” Boltsinger raised his head again, opening his mouth to speak. “I mean, it’s been happening for years, so it’s not too farfetched to think that something like that has happened.” She leaned in close to him. “When I was still living in the Golden Oak library, I was fully aware of the dangers of living in a tree during an electrical storm, so I set up a magical lightning rod to protect it. Since your wings create lightning, I made some… adjustments… to the bed!” She flew up to the top of the canopy, lifting her companion along with her to see a silver rod coming out of the top. “There’s lightning rods here at the top, and one at every corner of the bed! If those wings of yours start sparking, they’ll draw it all in and protect us!” Boltsinger looked, wide-eyed, at the devices, then back at Twilight. He flapped his wings, dispelling the field around him as he lunged forward and hugged her tightly.

“Thank you…” He told her, pulling back and looking down at the inviting mattress. “I think I’m ready, now.” He lowered himself onto the bed proper, falling onto his side and passing out.

Twilight smiled softly, landing next to him and resting one of her wings on his Cutie Mark. “You’re welcome.”

Author's Note

When I started writing this chapter, I wasn't sure exactly where it was going. But I knew that this step had to be explored now that it had been brought up. I owed it to myself to address it. Then the momentum started, and then... Well, you just read it, so you understand what I'm getting at. Next chapter is gonna explore some new territory for me. I've done a little bit of it before, but this is gonna be the first time I focus an entire chapter on it. I hope you enjoy it!

Birthday Surprise!

So, her birthday is coming up… What am I gonna do? Boltsinger thought to himself, looking at the calendar. There was a picture of Twilight’s Cutie Mark on the next day with a birthday cake over top of it. Originally, books seemed like the best idea, but… Well, I’d be hard-pressed to find a book she doesn’t have… Plus… I dunno, something romantic, I guess? He paced through the library, looking back and forth at all of the things in it. I know my birthday isn’t that big of a deal, but this is a PRINCESS we’re dealing with, and the one mare I love most! I can’t just gloss over this!

The door to the library opened, Starlight coming in and pulling a book from one of the high shelves. She opened it up and started reading it as she made her way to one of the many chairs strewn about the room, only to feel a sudden impact knocking her to the floor. She looked up from her book, seeing a certain Pegasus rubbing the back of his head with one of his wings, not even noticing that she was there.

“Hey, Boltsinger, are you doing alright?” Starlight asked, alerting the stallion to her presence. “You look… flabbergasted.”

“Oh, hi Starlight.” He replied, standing up and offering a helpful hoof. “I’m just wondering what I should do for Twilight for her birthday tomorrow.”

Starlight took the offer and worked her way up. “Her birthday? Didn’t you get her some books?”

Boltsinger facehoofed, looking at her with a straight face. He motioned his foreleg to the room they were standing in, filled to the brim with books. “I think she has that covered.” He continued his pacing as Starlight took a seat. “I want to do something bigger than just a gift, anyway.”

“Such as…?” Starlight lead, looking at her book again.

“And that’s where I draw a blank.” he finished. “I dunno… Maybe I’m overthinking this.”

“You do spend a lot of time with Twilight.” the Unicorn added. “Don’t worry so much. It’s just a party.”

Boltsinger breathed a sigh of relief, turning to leave. “You’re right…” He headed into the hall, giving a farewell wing-wave. “I’ll just go and see what all everypony is doing for it and then work it out from there!” He perked up, rising into the air and taking off towards the Carousel Boutique.

The finishing touches on her latest creation were complete. Rarity was working on a delightful frock for her friend, Twilight, as a gift for her birthday. She had been working on it for days, and it had to be just so. As she gave it a final look, the bell at the door rang. Rarity’s face lit up as she headed to the main room of her shop.

“Welcome to the Carousel Boutique, where everything is--” She opened her eyes, seeing the orange stallion standing in the doorway. “Oh! Hello, Bolt! What brings you along?”

Boltsinger looked around at the various outfits, noting that a section for stallions had been expanded in the shop. “I’ve been wondering what I can do for our favorite Princess’ birthday.” He looked back at the seamstress. “Do you have any ideas?”

“Well, what do you know about her?” She asked, looking at outfits next to him.

Boltsinger took a deep breath, “Well… She’s pretty much the smartest pony ever, and she really likes to pass on knowledge and really gets into a lesson when she enjoys the subject matter. She is a bit of a worry wart, though. I kind of worry for her when she gets frazzled... “ He went on for several minutes, talking about everything he could think of as Rarity smiled warmly at the lovestruck stallion. “But Pinkie keeps on saying how huge birthdays are, and in this case I gotta agree with her, because not only is she a PRINCESS, but she’s really important to me and I wanna let her know that…” He began to sit down, Rarity moving her favorite couch over to provide a cushion. “What do you think?”

“I think you’re getting a little ‘frazzled’, yourself, dear.” She informed him, placing a hoof on his shoulder. “A gift for her would be positively divine. If you’d like, I can make some suggestions.”

“Okay, what have you got?” Boltsinger agreed.

“Well, I’ve been creating an ensemble for her to wear to her birthday party, and it’s simply fabulous!” She started, walking with him towards the outfit. It was a yellow gown with the tiniest bit of lace lining the hem, two dark purple sashes coming back from the medium-length collar and tying themselves at the rear with just enough space between them on her back to make room for her wings, as if to accentuate them. There were two amethysts with a larger sapphire in between them right at the base of the neck, with a flattering yet modest design going from the gems to the base of the skirt, which extended far enough down the legs to hide her hind legs, yet not drag on the floor at all times. Boltsinger looked at the outfit with stars in his eyes, imagining the Princess wearing it. “So her outfit is covered, but what mare doesn’t appreciate flowers to accentuate her look?” She put a hoof around his neck, raising a foreleg and motioning to the dress. “Can’t you just imagine how lovely she would be with a brilliant bloom in her mane?”

Boltsinger looked longingly at the dummy before him, imagining Twilight with the dress on and with some flowers in her mane, looking coyly at him and batting her eyelashes. “Uh-huh…” His wings grew stiff on his back, standing straight up, much to Rarity’s surprise.

“Oh! My… You most certainly can, I see!” She removed her foreleg from his back, stepping away slightly. “Um… Boltsinger, your wings?”

Boltsinger shook his head to snap himself out of his daydream, then looked back at his wings. “Oh... “ He retreated into himself, blushing madly. “Sorry about that…”

Rarity giggled. “Oh, it’s quite alright. Twilight is quite a vision when she wants to be. Any stallion worth his salt lick would be lucky to have her!” She looked piningly at the dress, letting out a lonely sigh. “Any stallion, indeed…”

Boltsinger put a hoof on her shoulder with a warm smile. “Just like any stallion would be lucky to have you.” He headed for the door, Rarity putting a hoof on his flank as he left.

“Thank you.” She said, letting him go. As he left, Rarity let out one more sigh, looking at the dress.

Walking down the streets of Ponyville, Boltsinger’s mind drifted back to the image of Twilight that Rarity put in his head, his wings shooting up again as he made for the flower shop.

“Flowers… Flowers… What kind of flowers?” He asked himself, looking around as the sound of wingbeats gave away another pony’s presence above him. He looked up to see Rainbow Dash matching his pace from the air, looking at him with a cheeky smile.

“I’d ask what’s on your mind, but… I think it’s pretty obvious!” She stated. She flew on level with his upright wings and flicked it with one of her hooves. At the impact, Boltsinger’s entire body vibrated like a tuning fork, his mouth letting out a low A note for a few seconds as the vibration died down. “Hm. Not a bad note. But you might wanna get those babies under control. There are foals out around now.”

The stallion planted his hooves, moving his wings so as to loosen them up. “Yeah… Rarity just put this idea in my head that--”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, I do not wanna know!” Rainbow interrupted, waving her forelegs in front of her. “So, you wanna get flowers for something?” Boltsinger nodded and informed her of Rarity’s suggestion. “I think you gotta go bigger! This is for your special somepony, after all!”

“What are you getting at?” he wondered, his wings finally returning to normal.

“Flowers are pretty, yeah, but is that really enough?” She elaborated, landing in front of him. “If you really wanna impress her as much as it seems, then you gotta step up your game! Do something awesome that only you can do!”

“Something awesome… hmm…” He sat down, pondering what she meant. After a little while, he opened his eyes wide and slammed one forehoof into the other. “I’ve got it!” He jumped to his hooves and took one more look up at Rainbow Dash, a big smile on his muzzle. “Thanks! I’ve gotta go!” He began flapping his wings, rocketing along to Sugar Cube Corner, where Mrs. Cake was working the counter.

“Oh hello there, Boltsinger, dear!” the swirly-maned pony started with a smile. “Come to see Pinkie today?”

“Nope! She’s busy planning Twilight’s birthday party. I can find her any time.” He said as he put his forelegs up on the counter. “I need to talk to you.”

The baker was taken aback. “Me? Well, what do you need me for?”

“Well, Applejack tells me that you were good friends with her mother.” the stallion explained. Mrs. Cake’s expression looked like it could compete with Angel’s freshly-fluffed tail in a contest of softness. She leaned against the counter. “She said that her mom had a… a song that she sang to her father…” He explained his idea further, the mare at the counter smiled. She beckoned him into the kitchen, where the two of them continued on.

The next day, Twilight woke up with a yawn, looking to her side and seeing nopony there. She wondered where Boltsinger might have gone. Normally he was one to sleep in most days. Then again, considering what day it was, she guessed that it was probably some plan that he had, as he’s shown to be prone to for special occasions. She shrugged, getting out of bed and going through her morning routine. She made her way through the castle, Starlight and Spike each passing by and delivering happy birthday messages. She found her way into the foyer, still seeing no sign of the resident stallion. Furrowing her brow, she teleported through the various rooms of the castle, not finding a trace of him.

Finally appearing back in the foyer, she groaned. “Where is he?” She wondered out loud.

Spike ran to her from the dining room. “Something wrong, Twilight?”

“Have you seen Boltsinger today?” She asked the dragon.

Spike shrugged. “Haven’t seen him since yesterday. Did he not come home?”

“I don’t think so…” She looked over to the front door, which began to open a crack. Twilight’s ears perked up as she rushed over to the entrance, opening it wide with her magic. Boltsinger stood in the doorway, his hoof still in the air and his expression dumbfounded.

“Good morning, Twilight.” He greeted, pausing for a moment. “Happy birthday!”

The Alicorn leaned in and gave the Pegasus a hug. “Where have you been?”

“I was at Sugar Cube Corner.” he informed her. “Been working on something for tonight.”

Twilight turned to walk with him into the castle proper. “What is it you’re working on this time?”

Boltsinger looked slyly at the mare. “Now, that would be spoiler.” He looked forward, his gaze fixed on his destination. “Oh yeah! I did do a few things before I came home.” He turned to face her again, pulling out a green-covered book with a number of different flowers on the front. “First of all, there’s this. Rarity suggested that I get you some flowers to go with the thing she’s been making for you, but…” He lowered his head with a sheepish smile. “I don’t know the first thing about flowers… So, I got each of us a copy of this book!” He held the book up to her as she lifted it with her magic. “It’s not just about what kinds of flowers there are, but the ‘language’ of flowers. Finding out just what they mean and represent. What do you think?” He brought his face close to hers, tilting his head with an excited smile.

Twilight looked between the book and the Bolt, smiling. “It’s perfect. Thank you!”

“Just wait until you open it! There’s another surprise in there for you!” He continued.

Twilight tilted her head slightly, opening the book. From within the pages, something that looked like a coupon fell out. She caught it with her magic, peering curiously at the text. “Is this… a spa ticket?”

“All expenses paid spa day! Get whatever kind of treatments you want, it’s all paid for!” the stallion announced, rearing up and spreading his forelegs.

“How did you pay for something like this?” the Princess queried.

“Oh, I don’t buy too much with the bits I get working with Applejack.” He explained. “I want you to have the best day ever! Feeling your absolute best for your birthday party tonight!” He turned back to walk down the hallway. “Anyway, I’m gonna be in the music room.” Twilight opened her mouth to speak. “I… set up a music room. Soundproofed and everything!” He gave her a kiss on the cheek, picking up his pace. “Have a great day! I’ll see you tonight!” With that, he went into a gallop towards the aforementioned room.

She stood alone in the hallway, looking at the speeding pony with her mouth hung open, absolutely befuddled. “But… I just wanted to spend the day with you…”

Evening had arrived, and Twilight emerged from behind the changing curtain wearing the gown made for her by Rarity. She had been ecstatic to put it on, as it reminded her of the first dress that her friend had made for her first birthday with her best friends. She thought of the gathering that awaited her in one of the castle’s larger chambers, her friends all waiting for her, and whatever special surprise her favorite stallion had in mind.

Spike opened the door to the bedroom, peeking inside and showing a hint of surprise as he saw the mare. “Wow! You look great!” He told her, walking to her side. “Everypony is ready whenever you are. You excited?”

Twilight sighed as she made her way into the hall. “I don’t know. This birthday hasn’t exactly gone how I’d hoped it would.” She cast a glance at the dragon beside her. “I’m looking forward to this, but I was hoping to not spend most of the day by myself! Boltsinger has been absorbed in his big surprise plan, and Applejack seems to be in on it! I understand that Pinkie was planning the party and Rarity has orders to fill… Everypony has responsibilities to attend to. But I was hoping I could spend the day with my loved ones.”

“Well, I’ve been home, and so has Starlight!” Spike informed her. “Didn’t you go to the spa with that ticket that Boltsinger got for you?”

Twilight shook her head. “No... I didn’t have it in me to go.” She hung her head, looking at the floor. “It would have been relaxing, but ‘relaxation’ isn’t what I wanted today.”

Spike frowned slightly, unsure of what to say. He patted his friend’s shoulder, letting his claw linger there as they continued on their way. Finally reaching the venue, Pinkie’s preparations were shown. Red balloons were strewn about the room with streamers strung between the crystal pillars with a big starry cake on the table in the center of the room.

Pinkie emerged from behind the cake, beaming. “Happy birthday, Twilight!” She bounded over to the Princess, stopping just short of her. “Are you ready for some serious fun?”

Twilight giggled at the bubbly pony. “You know it!” She proceeded further into the room, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Starlight all gathering around.

“So, before we start up the music, there’s sumthin’ I gotta do.” Applejack began, moving to pull a guitar from under a table at the edge of the room. She moved over to a pair of curtains, sitting on a stool in front of them. “Bolt asked me to help ‘im with this, seein’ as the song comes from my family. Gotta preserve the integrity of it, after all.”

As if on cue, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash flew over to the curtains, pulling them aside to reveal a certain orange Pegasus, twirling the tips of his wings as if he had four little air pockets ready to go. He flapped his wings, sending them into position above the group. Twilight looked at the familiar sight in awe, walking over to the impromptu stage.

“So, if it wasn’t obvious, I wanted to do something special for you on your birthday. I may not be a big birthday aficionado, but Pinkie was right about one thing. It does let us celebrate how special our loved ones are. And… well… You are really special to me, Twilight.” Twilight smiled, bringing a hoof up over her heart. “Sadly, I can’t think of my own lyrics to save my life. But this… this is the closest thing I could find to stating how I feel. I hope you like it.” He rose up into the air, giving one swift wing-flap that went into his normal ‘performance hover’ as Applejack began strumming on the guitar.

~We’re far apart in every way,

But you’re the best part of my day.

And sure as I breathe the air

I know that we are a perfect pair~

He rose up higher into the air as one of the air pockets let out a bass accompaniment, another two adding little flourishes throughout to accentuate certain words and notes. The last pocket finally let out its sound, creating a low harmony to the melody being performed by the stallion in question.

~On a prickly path that go-o-oes on for miles (Goes on for miles)

But it’s worth it just to see-ee you smi--i-i-ile (Just to see you smile)

And I cannot be pulled apart

From the hold you have on my heart,

And even if the world tells us it’s wrong…

You’re in my head like a catchy song!~

He bonked his head with one of his hooves for emphasis. Twilight began flapping her wings, flying over to the performing pony and looking him straight in the eye.

~The seasons change, and leaves may fall

But I’ll be with you through them all!

And rain or shine, you’ll always be mi-i-i-ine…

On a prickly path that go-o-oes on for miles (Goes on for miles)

You’re the only one who makes it all worthwhi--i-i-ile (Makes it all worthwhile)~

He lowered himself to the floor, the air pockets dissipating as only Applejack’s guitar strumming was left as accompaniment.

~And you should not blame me, too…

If I can’t help falling in love with you…~

He lingered on the last note, his face showing his goofy grin as he averted his gaze to the floor below, pawing at it with a hoof. Applejack went on for one more measure, ending on her own personal flourish.

Boltsinger shrugged slightly, letting out a small nervous laugh. “I know it’s not entirely accurate for our situation, but…” He lifted his head again, looking at what he saw was a teary-eyed Princess. “What do you think?”

Twilight took one of her wings and brushed the tip of it against his chin, pulling him forward and going in for a full liplock. The stallion leaned into it as his wings once again stood straight up, stiff as a board. They remained connected for a few moments, Twilight eventually backing away from it. “It was beautiful. But I need to tell you something.” Boltsinger tilted his head, listening closely. “It’s not what I wanted today.”

“So… you don’t like it?” he wondered, his ears drooping.

“That’s not it. I love what you’ve done! But I just wanted to spend time with you today.” She elaborated, putting her wing on his cheek. “Why did you get so flustered about all of this, anyway?”

“Well, you heard my explanation earlier. I don’t really do much ‘birthday’ stuff, at least for me. But there’s a difference when it’s doing something for somepony important to me... “ His face and wings grew more relaxed. “I was just so concerned with doing something great for you… I... got a little carried away…”

“I think you did, too.” Twilight confirmed. “This whole performance was wonderful. But, next time you want to do something special for me on a special day, you should probably just ask me.”

Boltsinger nodded. “Agreed.” The two leaned in and nuzzled noses, getting a soft ‘aww’ from the ponies around them.

Pinkie Pie pulled out a scroll, looking down the list and checking a box. “Good thing I worked a friendship lesson into the party plan!” She looked up from the scroll at the ponies in question. “Or would this be a ‘dating’ lesson?”

Twilight and Boltsinger looked at each other, then at Pinkie. “Both.” They stated in unison, the rest of the room’s occupants laughing uproariously as the party ensued.

Author's Note

So, clearly the song I used was obvious. But the arrangement, at least in my head, is different by a smidge. If you want me to do an actual recording of it, let me know. I always need to practice my multi-track skills.

A Day Of... Relaxation?

Author's Note

Gonna warn you, this chapter was pretty much pure "I just wanna write this one because it's fun." But I do think you'll get a kick out of it.

A Day Of... Relaxation?

Twilight and Boltsinger sat outside one of the many doors in the castle that now bore a treble and bass clef on it. The Alicorn looked curiously at it, wondering why she hadn’t noticed these symbols on the door before. She opened the door to reveal a large, empty room. She walked in, looking around. It didn’t seem all that different from every other room in the castle.

“What makes this room the ‘music room’?” She asked, walking back out into the hall. “It doesn’t seem any different…”

An amused laugh escaped Boltsinger’s mouth. “Allow me to demonstrate.” He rushed into the room and took a deep breath, letting out a loud and low bellow that shook the castle all over, knocking some of the books in the library off of their shelves. “That’s with the door open, sound carrying normally… Well, normally for me. Now, when I take a breath, close the door.” Twilight nodded. He took another deep breath, Twilight following the instructions she was given. As the door latched shut, she waited a few seconds. She heard a knock at the door and opened it, seeing a breathless Bolt in the room before her. “Did you hear that?”

“I didn’t hear anything.” the Princess replied.

“Exactly.” he stated, pointing a hoof at her confidently. “I just went at least three decibels higher than I did when the door was open, and you didn’t even hear it!”

Twilight released a little bit of surprise onto her face, walking back into the room. “That’s impressive. But why do you think we need a ‘music room', anyway? And why didn’t you tell me about it? It’s my castle, after all!”

Boltsinger looked a little surprised himself for a second. “You’re right. I should have told you right away, and I’m sorry for that.” He relented, putting a wing on her shoulder. “It sorta slipped my mind when I started working on it. You know how I tend to get absorbed in something I think is important, after all.” Twilight begrudgingly nodded, remembering the previous day’s events. “Anyway, I realized after prepping for Nightmare Night that my volume levels are… high. When I’m getting involved in a performance project that’s close to home, my practicing can disrupt everypony here to the point of a complete atmosphere change… and waking them up in the middle of the night, as Spike made me well aware of.”

“Go on…” Twilight said, holding a foreleg to her muzzle.

“So, I asked a friend of mine, you know her as DJ PON-3, to help me with soundproofing a room so that anytime anypony here needs to do something… loud and/or musical, or at least practice for it, we have a room to do that in!” He stood on his hind legs, his forelegs and wings spread wide. “What do you think?”

Twilight looked around the room one more time, seeing nothing in there but the two of them and some heavily insulated walls. “I suppose it makes sense, but it doesn’t look like too much of a music room. There aren’t any instruments in here.”

“Yeah…” He began, scratching his mane with his wing. “Well, I can’t exactly play any instruments, so… I didn’t think to put any in here.” He perked up, looking Twilight in the eye. “But… We could learn to play some if you’re interested!”

Twilight giggled at his excitement. “It does sound like a fun project.” She admitted. “But I don’t know what kind of instrument I would want to play. And you have whole songs covered with just your voice!”

“We can figure it out as we go.” Boltsinger told her, heading back to the hallway. “Well, that’s the music room. Any place you wanna go today?”

Twilight gave her special somepony a sly look. “Oh, I can think of one place…” She began, floating a familiar piece of paper in front of him.

Boltsinger looked at the paper with a shocked expression. “Is this the--” Twilight lit up her horn, a bright magenta flash flaring to life as the two appeared inside the Ponyville Day Spa. “--the… spa… ticket…?” He looked around at the venue, jaw slowly dropping. “Aaaaaand I’m here…” He turned to head out the door. “Well, I see you have a full day planned so I’ll leave you to it!” As he reached for the door, the all-too-familiar feeling of magical immobilization came over him, slowly pulling him away from the door.

“Oh, no, lover-bolt, you’re not getting away this time!” Twilight interjected, turning the stallion to face her. “I want to spend the day with you, and you were generous enough to give me this all-expenses-paid spa day, so… I want to share it with you!”

“I… see…” His eyes darted around the room, seeing all of the spa patrons looking at him with amused smiles. “Well, I guess I’m joining you at the… spa… today…”

Twilight released him from her magic. “I knew you’d see it my way.” She stepped beside him and placed a wing on his back. “Besides, you’ve been really stiff, lately. You could use some relaxation.”

“Um… define ‘stiff’...” He requested, thinking back on various points of ‘stiffness’ he had experienced in the past couple of days. “‘Cause there are a few possible reasons behind stiffness.”

“Well, you sleep on your back most of the time, and I’ve been noticing that sometimes your wings start standing up straight, even though you’re not being called anywhere.” the mare explained. “You also don’t take much time to sit down and just relax. It’s like you can’t stop moving long enough to rest unless you’re reading, sleeping, or we’re doing lessons. I just want you to be able to sit back and just enjoy being taken care of for a day." She shot him a pleading look. "Do it for me?”

Having heard all of Twilight’s relatively accurate observations, he breathed a relenting sigh. “Okay. I’ll do it for you.” He stood back as Twilight handed in the slip of paper, offering up some bits for her partner’s treatments. “But I don’t want to do anything too invasive!”

“Don’t worry. I won’t force you into anything you don’t want to do.” She beamed back at him, seeing a fairly stoic face looking back at her. “... Except getting treatments in the first place…” She gave an embarrassed laugh as the two headed farther into the building. “So, now that you’re open to the idea, what do you want to try?”

“Honestly, I have no idea. I’ll just take your suggestions, I guess.” He told her. They made their way through the hallway, coming to an open room with several ponies getting treatments all over. Some were bathing in mud, others in a large hot tub in the middle of the room. Several ponies were getting their hooves done in various ways, while others had what Boltsinger could only describe as ‘goop’ on their faces, just lying there with cucumber slices covering their eyes. “Aaaaaaaand now I’m less sure than ever…”

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m going to the steam room first.” Twilight informed him, heading in another direction. “We’ll see what happens after that.” Boltsinger followed, figuring that it wouldn’t be too awful.

“So, we just sit in a steam-filled room?” He looked at the door Twilight was heading for. “That doesn’t seem too bad.”

“It’s sweltering…” A profusely sweating Boltsinger said, heavily panting with a towel around his rump as a toweled-up Twilight was lying comfortably on the seat. “How is this relaxing?”

“I admit, it takes some getting used to.” Twilight began, inching closer to him. “But once you do, it feels really nice.”

“I’m gonna take your word for it. What’s next?” He inquired, hoping to get out of the hot room soon.

“Well, it’s been a while since I’ve gotten my hooves done. Maybe you could try that?” She suggested, getting up to leave the steam room. “Besides, with the kind of landings you’re prone to, your hooves could use some work.”

“I… guess…” He got up to follow, shuddering at the thought of somepony handling his hooves. He walked alongside the Princess, nervously looking at everything happening around him as his face grew increasingly tense.

Twilight looked back at him, seeing the confusion and fear on his muzzle. “Bolt, are you alright? You seem a bit… scared.”

The stallion’s ears perked up as he turned to look at her again. “What? Yeah, I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be fine? I’m at the spa with you! Best day ever, right?” He rabmbled, his speech devolving into nervous laughter.

“Are you sure?” She wondered, stopping and leaning her head towards him. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this uncomfortable before.”

“You clearly didn’t see how I was when Rarity was handling my mane for the Gala, did you?” He deadpanned, his eyes quickly returning to their journey around the room. “I mean, you gave her the hair brushes that all snapped apart in my mane as they pulled every single hair every which-way... “

“Okay… Let me know if you change your mind, though.” She told him with a reassuring look, continuing on her way.

Boltsinger took a deep breath, giving his muzzle a good wing-slap and continuing on. “Okay… So, hooves? Shouldn’t be too bad.”

Boltsinger gritted his teeth, trying to stifle himself as the spa ponies took a file to his hooves. “So… scrapey… Feels weird… Not… sure… if… like... this…” He looked over at Twilight, who looked perfectly comfortable with the same treatment, eyes closed. She rolled onto her side, putting her hooves in place for a thorough polish and looked at him through half-lidded eyes. He flashed a wide yet insincere smile at her as she closed her eyes once more, laying her head down.

“Twilight! Boltsinger! How lovely to see you here!” a familiar mare called from the room’s entrance. Rarity trotted up between the two wearing a white robe with purple trim, matching her own natural colors. “What brings you here, today?”

Twilight opened her eyes again, looking at her glamorous friend. “Boltsinger got me an all-expenses-paid day of treatments for my birthday, and today I’m cashing in on it!”

“Aww, how sweet of him!” She declared, bringing her forelegs together beside her head. She turned to the stallion. “That reminds me. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you here, before, Bolt. How do you like it?”

His face twisted as the spa ponies continued filing his hooves, but his ‘smile remained, if only slightly. “It’s… great. It’s… um… relaxing?” The file made another sweep over a hoof, making his teeth clench tighter. He grunted slightly as it continued. “... Scrapey…”

Rarity cringed a little at the sudden change in his expression. She leaned in close to him. “You know, dear, you don’t have to put up with uncomfortable treatments if they bother you this much.” She whispered.

“It’s that obvious?” He asked. Rarity gave a swift and definitive nod. “But… I already started… I feel like I need to see it through….”

“All right. But nopony would be mad if you decided not to.” The mare stated. She turned back to Twilight and leaned in. “You know he’s putting up with no end of discomfort for you, right?”

“I know.” The Princess confirmed. “But he’ll never admit to it. I think my argument earlier about wanting to spend the day here with him may have been a little bit too strong.”

From behind Rarity, Boltsinger let out a massive sigh of relief. “Finally!” He looked at his hooves, seeing just a hint of a sparkle in them. “I’m… gonna go to the bathroom!” He sped off to a nearby room with a simple picture if a stallion on the door, stopping at the mirror and repeatedly slapping his muzzle with his wings. “Okay… That was an ordeal… But it’s worth it! You are doing this for Twilight! You love Twilight! You can put up with a few more things, right? Right?!” He cracked his big, nervous grin at the mirror, trying to convince himself. “Right! Now let’s get back out there and do some more! For Twilight!!!” He raised a hoof triumphantly as he made his way back out. “So? What’s next?!”

Twilight trotted over to him as Rarity went her own way. “Are you ready for the next part? I saved the best for last!”

“Last?” The Pegasus repeated. “Last is good! I can do last!” He looked confidently forward. “What’s last?”

Twilight beamed. “Massage!” She exclaimed as one of the spa ponies appeared next to her.

“Okay, I can do that!” He faced the hallway. “Yeah…” he trotted forward, a genuine smile forming. “Yeah!”

“YEAH!” a loud, familiar voice shouted with a crashing noise. “You ready for this, little pony?!”

Boltsinger looked up, his smile wiped clean from his muzzle. The therapist before him was unmistakably the very pony he had cast to be Frankenstag’s Monster. “Hi… Bulk Biceps… What are you doing here?”

“I work here! Massage therapy!” The buff pony explained. “Now, come on! We got some massaging to do!” He stepped forward, pushing himself against the smaller pony and tightening his pectoral muscles. “Let’s get you relaxed!”

Boltsinger's face was caught between Bulk Biceps’ muscles as he found himself lifted into the air. “This is not relaxing…” He said, his voice completely muffled by the muscles around him. Bulk Biceps trotted into another room, smaller pony in tow and dreading what was to come.

Twilight laid on the massage table, the spa ponies rubbed her back with their forelegs as she melted into the table, her wings loosening up. She opened her eyes a little, smiling and simply enjoying herself. “This is heaven… I wonder how Boltsinger’s massage is going…”

In another room, on a very stiff table, Boltsinger lay with a pained expression. Bulk Biceps was hard at work, pushing hard against the orange stallion’s back. The Sound of cracking joints and bones could be heard from within his body as he let out sharp winces and yelps of pain with every new crack.

“Wow, you are really tense!” The bulky therapist noted. “Is this your first massage?”

With another crack and a yell, Boltsinger spoke up. “Yup!” More cracking ensued. “Not… entirely sure how I feel about it... “

Bulk pulled over a step stool, climbing up onto it. “Okay, little guy, this might hurt a bit!”

Boltsinger gritted his teeth. “Can’t be any more painful than it already--” the immense pony began stepping on his back, his full weight pressing down on him “--HAS!!!” his legs, wings, and tail all sprawled out around him as he went limp, closing his eyes and continuing through his ordeal in silence.

Outside the spa building, Twilight stepped out. She figuratively and literally glowed from how refreshed and relaxed she felt. She turned her head to face the door, a content smile on her muzzle as she watched her companion make his exit.

“That was a very relaxing day.” She asked. “How are you feeling?”

Boltsinger stepped out of the building, a dingy black aura surrounding him as he rigidly approached her. His wings looked mangled and he moved slower than usual.

“That was the most stressful attempt at ‘relaxation’ I have ever experienced…” He admitted, plopping his entire body onto the ground beside her. He looked up at her, pained. “I love you, and I love that you can relax here, but I’m just not sure how comfortable I am with… all this.” He worked his way back to his hooves. “I’m willing to come back, really I am, but I’m not sure how much I would do in regards to their services.”

Twilight gave the tired stallion a tight hug. “I understand. And I’m sorry for forcing you into something you were uncomfortable with.” She stepped back, looking puzzled. “But why did you put up with each full treatment if they made you feel so awful?”

“When I start something, especially for somepony important, I make sure to see it through.” He gave a weak smile as he started the slow walk home. “Even if it’s really, really painful…” He stopped to stretch, feeling another crack and pop in his back and wincing. “Like that…” He said with a groan.

Twilight giggled and matched his pace. “All right, slowpoke. Let’s get you home and relax your way.”

Boltsinger perked up and stretched his wings into place. “That sounds wonderful…”

Twilight laughed and gave him a peck on the cheek. He reeled his head back, wings shooting up and standing on end once again. “Hmm… There’s that stiffness again... “ the Princess pointed out. “Ooh! I could look up some massage techniques to help you with that so that you don’t have to go to the spa for it! What do you think?”

Boltsinger blushed furiously. “Not sure how well that would get rid of this particular ‘stiffness', but if you wanna give it a go, I won’t stop you.”

Twilight tilted her head as she looked at the stallion’s wings. “What do you mean?” She wondered.

Boltsinger waved a hoof in front of him. “Nothing you need to worry about.” He told her, trying his hardest to get his wings to rest. “Let’s just get home.”

Two's Company, More is a Choir

“So, you had to perform a solo in front of all of those ponies, even though there was such a big group performing?” Fluttershy asked, showing hints of fear in her eyes as she took another sip of tea.

“Yep. But the ponies of Trottingham appreciated it.” Boltsinger answered, placing his cup on the table. “Sometimes, even in a big ensemble performance, a single voice can make all the difference.”

“But… how did you face them all?” the mare wondered, the cup in her shaking hooves spilling some of its contents. “All of those eyes… I’ve only just gotten used to singing for my friends… How could you possibly face a crowd of hundreds of ponies?”

“It took me a while, even with what that lightning does to my brain, but I do have a bit of a secret.” He started.

Fluttershy’s ears perked up at the idea of a way to bypass her stage fright. She moved over next to the blue-maned stallion, putting her tea down and looking more closely. “What is it?”

Boltsinger put a hoof on her shoulder. “My secret is this...” He began. As he took a breath to continue, he felt a tingling in his wings, the pendant he wore glowing at the same time. “Uh-oh…”

“Uh-oh? What do you mean, uh-oh?” the pink-maned mare asked, her face fraught with worry. “Is it something bad?”

“How are you at handling supersonic speeds?” he queried, trying to pull his hoof away, but to no avail.

“Um… I don’t think I’ve ever gone that fast before…” She told him. “Why?”

Boltsinger responded by flapping his wings, taking the two of them outside. “Because there’s apparently a first time for everything!” He lead. “I can’t get my hoof off of your shoulder, so grab on and keep a hold until we land! This time, you’re coming with me!”

“What? You mean you’re about to take--” Fluttershy squeaked as the sudden takeoff interrupted her thought. She squealed in fear as the wind blew against her face, blowing her mouth back. Once she realized what was going on, she wrapped her forelegs around the stallion’s midsection, holding on for dear life. “Where are we going?!”

“I don’t know yet! But hopefully we won’t have to do much once we get there!” He informed her. “If you get hungry, I do have food!”

“That’s nice…!” She said with a whine in her tone. The two flew onward for several hours, Fluttershy refusing to open her eyes the entire time as the electricity surged through Boltsinger’s body and kept her clung to him. After a while, she heard what sounded like a breathing cello playing a low melody next to her. She opened her eyes, squinting to see where it was coming from, then feeling the rising and falling of Boltsinger’s chest as each breath took place, the vibration of his voice resonating inside. He was humming a slow and steady tune that slowly calmed the frightened filly as they flew. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes again, letting the music put her at ease.

After another hour of flying, the humming stopped. Their descent had begun. “I see where we’re going!” Boltsinger called out.

“Where is it?” Fluttershy asked, deigning to open her eyes and seeing a reasonably-sized city below them.

“Baltimare!” He confirmed, asserting a level of control over his wings and catching some wind on the way down. He slowed their descent to the point of righting himself before the two touched down just outside of a neighborhood theater. “And that, my friend, is the best landing I ever had!” He bragged, taking his hoof off of her shoulder. He looked at Fluttershy, seeing her still clamped tightly around his midsection. “Um… Fluttershy, you can let go now.”

Fluttershy looked around, finally noticing that they were on solid ground. Her hind legs and tail were sitting there on the ground beneath her while she clung to her friend. “Oh! Yes!” She released her grip, using her wings to right herself and land on all fours. “I’m sorry…”

“It’s okay. I imagine it was an… interesting flight.” He pulled two apples out of his mane, offering one to the mare. “And I wouldn’t blame you if you were hungry.” He took a bite of his own apple, nearly taking all of it in one go.

Fluttershy nodded and took the one offered to her, taking a small, dainty bite. “Thank you ever-so-much, Boltsinger.”

Boltsinger tilted his head, looking at his fellow Pegasus from the side. “For what? The apple? I get these all the time at the farm. No big deal.”

“Not just the apple.” She elaborated. “I wanted to thank you for helping me calm down while we were flying.”

“Oh, that. It’s no problem.” He responded. “I know first hoof just how terrifying it can be to suddenly be flying like that for such a long time. And considering how you and I share a tendency towards getting spooked by something new and potentially scary, I figured you would need a little extra push.”

Fluttershy smiled and took another bite. “So, where in Baltimare did we land?”

“Looks like a theater…” He walked over to the door, seeing a flier for a big choral performance. He leaned into the door, putting his ear directly up against it and hearing a horribly botched harmony inside. “And from the looks of it, there’s a choir that needs help.” He turned to face his friend. “Well, I guess I know why we’re here.”

Fluttershy took a few more bites, finally finishing her apple as she walked over to Boltsinger. “That sounds lovely! Should we go in?” She took a look at the flier, reading it carefully.

The ponies nodded to one another, opening the doors and making their way through the lobby. On the stage, a choir of approximately eighteen different ponies were singing loudly. Boltsinger stepped forward, turning an ear towards them. The sound was good, with solid harmonies, and good accompaniment by a nearby piano. But he could tell something was missing. This was a four-part harmony, and half of them weren’t quite up to par. The song ended as the two ponies approached. A dark purple unicorn mare with a long, curly black mane and tail stood in front of the choir. She had hazel eyes, and a Cutie Mark of a chord on a musical staff. She let out a sad sigh, closing her eyes and hanging her head.

“That was decent, but without everypony we can’t possibly get it perfect... Without those two... “ She told them. “We need a bass and a soprano, otherwise this just won’t work, and the fundraiser won’t reach its goal!”

Boltsinger cleared his throat, raising his wing. “Excuse me!” The mare jumped, looking at him. “I can sing bass, and my friend here sings a beautiful soprano!” Fluttershy jumped at her friend’s mention of her, backing up and hiding her face behind her mane.

“Really?” The mare ran over to the two Pegasi. “How are you at learning songs?”

“I can learn songs pretty easily.” He confirmed. “And Fluttershy, here, has broken into song with her friends more times than I can count.”

“Fluttershy?” the Unicorn repeated, looking at the cowering mare. “You mean the Fluttershy?”

“Yeah.” Boltsinger confirmed, looking back at the cowering mare. “Do you know her?”

“Why, she’s the whole reason we’re having our performance!” she exclaimed. “Her animal sanctuary has helped so many critters get healthy again and live happily that my best friend was inspired to do the same for all the animals around here!”

Fluttershy peeked out from behind her mane, her smile betraying all shyness. “Really?”

“Really!” she replied, taking Fluttershy’s hoof and shaking it rapidly. “My name is Chorus Plum! It’s an honor to meet you, Miss Fluttershy!”

“It’s… um… nice to meet you, too.” The yellow mare replied, her body moving with the hoof shake. “If there’s any way I can help, let me know!”

“We could use a soprano!” Chorus suggested.

“Oh, except that.” Fluttershy corrected. “I can’t do that.”

“Oh? Are you not a soprano?” the Unicorn wondered. “Your friend said you had a beautiful voice just a minute ago!”

“I just… have issues… singing in front of other ponies.” Fluttershy informed her.

Boltsinger placed a hoof on Chorus’ shoulder. “Don’t worry. I can help her with her stage fright.” He turned to his friend. “The performance isn’t for a couple of days. I’ll do everything in my power to help you with this... “ He looked at his crackling Cutie mark. “Besides, I can’t leave until the job is done.”

“All right, thank you!” Chorus said, lighting up her horn in a hazel aura. She floated several sheets of paper stapled into two stacks over to them. Once the stallion took hold of them, she leaned in next to him. “The soprano part she’ll be filling has a solo for one verse… Right at the high point of the song. You think you can get her to where she can do it?”

Boltsinger looked at the sheet music in his wing, letting out a sigh. “I make no promises on the solo, but I can try. Is there somewhere we can stay nearby?” Chorus nodded and told him the directions to the nearest hotel. Boltsinger turned to Fluttershy, tucking the music under his wing as he started towards the exit, turning to look back at the music director once more. “We’ll be in tomorrow for rehearsal.”

Chorus smiled and nodded. “Of course! Thank you for volunteering on such short notice!”

Fluttershy looked at her friend as the two left the theater, looking concerned. “I won’t really have to perform, will I?”

“You saw the size of the group.” He informed her. “They won’t be watching you exclusively, but the group. And I’ll be there with you.” He put his free wing on her shoulder. “No matter what we have to do, I promise you can do this. We’re gonna be working on the song once we’re checked into the hotel, so there’s plenty of time to get into it.”

“Are you sure I can’t just go and find somepony to take the part?” She continued. She began flapping her wings, taking to the air. “I can go look for somepony right now!” She flew off towards a large building in the distance as fast as she could. Boltsinger sighed and counted to himself, as the countdown came to a close, he braced himself, standing on his hind legs to make ready for an impact. He heard a loud yelp as the mare came flying backwards into him, sending him skidding back a few feet as he wrapped his forelegs around her to cushion the blow. She looked up at him as she got her bearings, her cheeks pink. “What happened?”

“It’s like when Discord came with me to Fillydelphia. When somepony comes with me for certain flights, it’s hard to leave my proximity until the job is done.” He patted her on the head. “Looks like you’re stuck with me for now. You alright?”

“I’m fine.” She said, getting back to her hooves. “Are you sure we can’t just get somepony to take that last part?”

“I think that if we work together on it, you can pull it off.” Boltsinger assured her. “You remember how before this all started, I was telling you my secret for a big crowd?” Fluttershy nodded as they continued to the hotel. “So, there’s a few tricks, but I think the simplest one is this… Close your eyes.”

“Close my eyes?” She repeated, confused.

“Eeyup. Close your eyes.” He confirmed with a confident nod of the head. “It’s actually a lot easier when you can’t see the crowd. Nopony to judge you.” He raised a hoof in front of him as if gesturing to an imaginary audience. “Just listen to the ponies performing with you. Go with the flow of the song, do your part, and enjoy yourself.”

“Just… enjoy myself? Well, I do like singing with my friends…” She pointed out.

“Well, this time, you’re singing with me. So, there’s not much of a difference.” He looked over at the hotel. “That and eighteen other ponies all doing their own parts. But they’re not gonna judge you. They’re too busy for that.” He offered his free wing. “Now, come on, let’s go check in so we can go over this!”

Fluttershy took a good look at her friend, his Cutie Mark was crackling like it normally does when he flies off, but he seemed different to her in a different way. He had the same warm smile she was used to, and really didn’t seem off, yet there was something more… inviting… she couldn’t justify or explain. She put her wing in his as the pink returned to her cheeks, the two making their way to the hotel.

He pulled the music out again, looking it over as they walked. “Ooh! This is a good song! It’s by a group called Coltplay. You’re gonna love it!”

After two days of practice in the hotel and rehearsal with the main group, the night of the performance had arrived. Everything had gone relatively well so far, and Fluttershy had taken Boltsinger’s advice regarding performance before a crowd. The Pegasi had donned the same kind of outfit that the other members of the choir were wearing, making their way to the venue while looking once more at the music. They were to perform in a large park, where a stage had been set up for the event. There was a hope that several ponies would show up and donate, but the nervous mare hoped against hope that there wouldn’t be very many ponies showing up in a small part of her mind. The stage was large, and many lights lined the edge so as to provide a good spotlight on the performers. From what they had learned, the choir was the highlighting act, with several other local groups coming to perform as well.

From the stage, Chorus Plum trotted up to the two ponies, excited beyond reason. “Are you two ready?” She asked.

“Oh… I don’t know.” Fluttershy started, holding her mane with her forelegs. “It’s such a big stage, and I might get blinded by those lights… and… There’s just so much that could go wrong…”

“Fluttershy, if you sing half as well tonight as you’ve been doing at rehearsal, I promise it’ll be perfect!” Chorus assured her. “I swear I’ve never heard such a beautiful solo on this song!”

“A solo? What do you mean a solo?!” the yellow mare wondered, shrinking to the ground. “I thought I was singing with everypony!”

“Relax, Fluttershy. You are singing with everypony.” Boltsinger stated, putting his foreleg on his friend’s back, patting it repeatedly to help her calm down. “It’s like we discussed. Your part is different from the others in one part of the song, but we’re still singing together! It’s like that group you told me about from Ponyville that does the a capella music.” Fluttershy slowly got up, looking at the ponies in her company. “You’re not gonna be alone up there, and I’m gonna be just a few ponies in front of you. Remember, we’re lined up like a musical staff.”

Fluttershy’s face went from petrified to determined, looking at the stage. “Right. We can do this!”

The ponies continued on their way, going up the stairs to the backstage as the guests gathered. Boltsinger shot a glance at the flustered filly, wondering how he could further calm her down. There is that thing I’ve been thinking about. I’ve already got the okay from Twilight, so I might as well tell her about it. He mused. Who knows? It might psyche her out so that she can do her best! He looked more directly at her, seeing her standing with a poise that looked uncomfortable for her. She was demure and graceful, yes, but standing stiff like this looked unnatural. “Hey, Fluttershy!” He whispered as the first act began. Her face returned to normal as she leaned in to listen to him. “I want to let you in on something.”

“What is it?” She asked from her normal, quiet, speaking voice. “Can it wait until after the performance is over? I think I should really focus on this…”

“Trust me, it’ll help you focus!” He told her. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while now, and I asked Twilight about it a few weeks ago and got the okay… I just didn’t know when was a good time to bring it up to you!” Fluttershy gave a confused look, not quite sure what he was talking about. “I want to adopt a pet when we get back to Ponyville!”

All signs of worry or doubt left the mare’s face in that one instant. She reared up happily, spreading her wings and smiling with a quiet but excited squee of a laugh. “Oh my goodness! Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Oh, now I can’t wait to get home so that I can help you find your very own furry companion to love and take care of!” As her hooves touched down again, she looked ahead with a new, genuine, determination. She was ready to give it her best!

After several more acts, Chorus stepped through the curtain. “Fillies and gentlecolts, thank you all so much for coming to our fundraiser! We appreciate every single bit and service you’ve all offered to help build our animal sanctuary! It has been our honor to entertain you tonight, and we have a special final act for everypony! Here they are, your Baltimare Twenty Notes Choir!”

The curtain in front of them opened. The lights seemed to white out the image of any onlookers, but the cheers were evident and everywhere. Fluttershy winced a little when she heard all the voices, but soon closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and muttering something to herself. Chorus turned around as the pianist took her position. She raised her forelegs, magically lifting a conductor’s baton above her head.

As she started moving her forelegs, the bass section began with two measures of a soft “Ooh” sound matching the notes. After that, Fluttershy closed her eyes, and the song proper began with the tenor section with piano accompaniment.

~When you try your best but you don’t succee-eed…

When you get what you want, but not what you nee-eed...

When you feel so tired that you can’t slee-e-eep…

Stuck in reve--e--erse…

And the tears come streaming down your face…

Or when you lose something you can’t repla-ace

When you love someone, but it go-oes to waste__…

Could it be-e wo--o--o-o-o-o-o-orse…~

The altos and sopranos joined in as the chorus began.

~Lights will gui-i-i-i-ide you home…

And igni-i-i-i-ite your bones…

And I will try___ to fix you.~

A measure of pure accompaniment went on, the bass, tenor, and alto sections moving to vocal accompaniment. Fluttershy took a deep, meaningful breath, and opened her mouth, eyelids still shut.

~And the high up above__ and down belo-ow…

When you’re too in love to let it go-o…

But if you never try, then you’ll never kno-o-o-ow…

Just what you’re wor--o--orth~

Boltsinger smiled in his notes as his friend’s part finished up, the chorus beginning again with the entire choir chiming in in harmony.

~Lights will gui-i-i-i-ide you home…

And igni-i-i-i-ite your bones…

And I will try___ to fix you~

The piano grew more intense, repeating harder notes in a soft succession that had a feeling of sympathy or remorse. The bass and tenor sections continued in vocal accompaniment as the mares in the group all took another breath.

~Tears stream… Down on your face___

When you lose something you cannot repla-ace…

Tears stream… Down on your face and I_______

Tears stream… Down on your face!

I promise you I will learn from my mista-akes…

Tears stream… Down on your face and I_______~

The song began to soften once more, the piano ceasing as just the voices were heard.

~Lights will gui-i-i-i-ide you home…

And igni-i-i-i-ite your bones…

And I will try___ to fix you~

Chorus lowered her forelegs and conductor’s baton, getting back on all fours as she turned to the crowd, the sound of uproarious applause drowning out everything else. She thanked the crowd repeatedly as the choir took bows of their own. Fluttershy, in her excitement to have the dreaded performance over with, dove forward into the friend just a few ponies in front of her.

“I DID IT!” She shouted, louder than the stallion had ever heard out of her. “I sang a solo in front of a huge crowd of ponies!”

Boltsinger smiled, reciprocating the embrace. “And you sang beautifully. I’m glad you came with me on this trip, Fluttershy. Even if it was something neither of us had a choice in.” His wings lost their rigidness as his Cutie Mark returned to normal, letting him know that his work there was done.

“I’m glad I came, too!” She agreed, looking him in the eye. “And now we can go and get you your new best friend!” She got up to her hooves, waiting for him to do the same and then ran towards the hotel.

Boltsinger chuckled at the sight of his excited friend. He turned around to see Chorus smiling at him. “So, how did the fundraiser go?”

Chorus beamed, stepping closer to the stallion. “We beat all of our expectations! Volunteers and funding abound!”

“That’s great!” he cried, making a thumbs-up with his wing. “I’m glad we were able to help you!”

“So, where is Fluttershy?” the Unicorn wondered, looking past the orange pony in front of her. “I was hoping to thank her, too.”

“She wanted to get ready for something we have planned once we get back to Ponyville.” He explained. “Speaking of which, I’ve got to get going. Keep us posted on the progress of your sanctuary! You can reach me at the Castle of Friendship!” He turned around and galloped off, hoping to catch up to Fluttershy soon.

Chorus tilted her head, looking puzzlingly at the Pegasus as he ran off. “Castle of Friendship? Wow… Some ponies are just full of surprises…”

Author's Note

First thing's first, I'm pretty sure it's obvious, but the song in question is "Fix You" by Coldplay. (I know, bad pun is bad regarding the band name.) But the arrangement is more like the one used by the band Straight: No Chaser. Of course, I do not claim ownership nor distribution rights.
My character sense has been going off with Fluttershy for a while now, and I'm most definitely not done. I'll tell you this. It's going to get interesting. Probably a bit obvious to some, but still interesting. Either way, I hope you all enjoy the chapters to come!

Spacey-shy

An excited squee came from the Ponyville train station as Fluttershy rose into the air above it. She turned around, beckoning with her foreleg as Boltsinger rose up to follow her. He was looking around the station, knowing that Twilight would be waiting for them, since he had made sure to send her a letter as soon as he could from Baltimare. The Princess in question soon rose up from the crowd, catching up to them.

“Welcome home!” She called, flying over to the stallion. “How was Baltimare?”

“It was nice!” He told her. “We helped a choir during a fundraiser. Now Baltimare’s ponies are building their own animal sanctuary!”

“Wow! Is that why Fluttershy is so excited?” Twilight wondered as the two picked up their pace towards the yellow mare.

“No, she’s more excited that I want to adopt a pet.” He explained. Twilight laughed as they flew. On the way, Boltsinger told the Alicorn about their trip to Baltimare, or at least what details stood out to him. He mentioned how they had sung with a choir, and made special note of how Fluttershy was able to power through a solo part in the song they performed, and how happy she was to have done so.

“That’s impressive! But I bet she was mostly able to do it because you gave her something to look forward to once you got back.” She added, pointing a foreleg forward. “You should catch up with her. She’s looking impatient.”

Fluttershy had turned around to face them, hovering in place as the other ponies caught up. She finally laid her eyes on Twilight and widened her smile. She began flying closer to the two, but stopped short as the stallion gave his special somepony a kiss on the cheek. She felt a strange kind of twisting in her chest at the sight. She didn’t know why it happened, since she’d seen him do this countless times before, but it felt different now. She brushed the thought away and continued, meeting Boltsinger halfway. She waved to Twilight, who waved in return and lingered behind.

“So, do you have an idea of what kind of pet you want?” she asked, turning to continue to her cottage.

“I haven’t quite figured it out yet.” he admitted. “But I have a few ideas. I know I want something that can get around easily and isn’t too big.”

“I can work with that!” she informed him, going in for a landing at her home. “We have quick little bunnies, spry little squirrels, slithery snakes, and sticky spiders!” She brought each of them over to him as he made his own landing.

“They’re all appealing, but not much in the way of vertical…” He said, looking closely at each of them. “Besides the spider, but I don’t want to accidentally step on the little lady.”

“I have lots of birds, if you’re interested in them!” She continued. She brought over a number of different birds, ranging from tiny hummingbirds to jays to a funny flamingo all the way to toucans, an eagle, and a falcon. “They’re really quite impressive! Some of them are even able to keep up with some of Ponyville’s best flyers!”

Boltsinger brought a hoof up to his muzzle, then shook his head. “They look amazing, but… I don’t think Owlowiscious would appreciate competition in the bird department.”

Fluttershy nodded. “I see… Well, what about a bat or a wasp?”

“I have an idea.” He interjected. “How about I look around and see which animal has the easiest time coming over to me.”

Fluttershy thought about it for a moment, then perked up. “I like the idea. That way, no matter what, you get a furry friend with an instant connection!” She flew to the side, all of the animals in the meadow gathering around the stallion.

Boltsinger began walking around, looking at all of the various animals. They all looked back at him, some with hopeful eyes, and some looking indifferent. He made his way under a nearby tree, where he heard a loud scream above him. He looked up, seeing a little brown and tan monkey swinging by his tail from a branch. He smiled at the little creature, getting some intrigued squeaks in return as the monkey dropped onto his back, reaching its little hands into his mane to try and groom him. Boltsinger laughed, petting the little guy’s head with his wing as he looked over to Fluttershy.

“Okay, I think I’ve found him.” He told her, moving his wing to show the mare the monkey he met. “What do you think?”

“Oh, a monkey!” She looked at them, seeing one of the happiest sights she had seen in a very long time. She gave a wide smile, running to their side and petting the monkey. “Are you happy, little one? You’re getting a new home!” She began walking towards the cottage, looking at Boltsinger on the way. “You’re going to need a few things to properly care for him. I can help you get something set up in the castle, but since it’s so roomy and tall in there, he’s going to have plenty of places to climb and exercise.” She went on with her explanation as they went inside, telling him what kind of foods monkeys like, and how to properly groom him. “So, what do you want to call him?”

Boltsinger looked at his new little friend, tilting his head as he pondered. “I’m thinking… Abu.” He finally said. “After the monkey sidekick in my favorite story from the Saddle-Arabian Nights.” Hearing the name, the monkey cried out excitedly, banging on his chest and lunging forward, hugging his new owner’s neck.

Fluttershy smiled, her cheeks becoming pink at the vision before her. “I think he likes it!”

The stallion petted the monkey with his wing some more, walking towards the door. “Wait until Twilight sees you!” He looked back at Fluttershy. “Thank you, Fluttershy. I’ll make sure he’s well taken care of!”

Fluttershy nodded, waving a foreleg as the orange pony stepped out, flaring his wings and taking off towards the castle. She lingered there, staring at the open door as Angel scurried up to her. The bunny opened his forelegs happily, expecting a hug or a pet or a greeting of some kind. Instead, Fluttershy simply kept staring, as if mesmerized by something. Angel looked at the doorway, then back at the pony, scrunching his face and twitching his nose in confusion. He hopped up onto her head, bending down to look her directly in the eyes from above. After a few seconds, she blinked, shaking her head and sitting down.

“Oh! Angel!” She started, bringing her hoof up to pet her bunny. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me... “ Angel looked back out the door, then shrugged, moving over to his bowl and holding it up. “Are you hungry?” After seeing a firm nod from the bunny, she quickly got up and went about her business.

Back at the castle, Twilight was making her entrance. She was glad that Boltsinger and Fluttershy had made it home alright, but she also knew that she had some preparations to make. Boltsinger was set to bring a pet home, so she wanted to make sure everything was set for the new companion.

Less than a minute from when she had arrived, the door opened again. Boltsinger walked in, beaming. “I have returned!” He bellowed. Twilight jumped, turning around to see the stallion snickering to himself as he approached.

“I see that.” She said, trotting over. “So, did you find a good pet?”

Boltsinger nodded, turning to the side to show the monkey on his back. “His name is Abu!” He told her as the simian waved.

“Like in the Saddle-Arabian story?” Twilight inquired.

“Exactly.” He confirmed. The monkey jumped from his back and over to Twilight, wrapping his tail around her horn and swinging onto her back. “He likes to ride, apparently.”

The Princess giggled, lifting the monkey with her magic and floating him back over to her owner. “So, I take it Fluttershy was happy with your choice?”

“She was ecstatic. But, actually, she’s been that happy since Baltimare.” He said, holding up his tail for his new friend to hang from. “In fact, if she were any more bubbly, I’d think she was Pinkie with wings!” He made a propeller motion with his tail, Abu hanging from it as he was swung around.

They went further into the castle, talking about all the possible options for places for the monkey to sleep, play, and where they could put his food. They took the small simian through a full tour of the castle, getting him acquainted with Spike, Starlight, and Twilight’s pet, Owlowiscious. The owl hooted a few times, taking to the air and flying up on top of one of the pillars in the hallway, the monkey climbing up and joining him. Abu would often sift through Owlowiscious’ feathers, pulling out anything that might discomfort the bird, who gave a satisfied hoot.

“So, how is the little monkey adjusting to his new home?” Fluttershy’s voice asked from behind. Twilight and Boltsinger jumped into the air with a yelp. They turned their attention to the floor, where Fluttershy was standing. “Oh! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you…” She shrank into herself as the other two ponies descended next to her.

“It’s alright.” Twilight told her. “We just weren’t expecting you.”

Boltsinger nodded, then flew up next to the animals atop the pillar. “So far, my little sidekick here seems right at home. But we’re still figuring out a few things for him.” He held out a foreleg, the little monkey crawling out onto it and swinging from the limb. He moved his foreleg back and forth, letting the simian swing higher and higher, eventually jumping off of him as he spun in the air, extending his tail as the monkey grabbed on, swinging more. He moved his tail to hang Abu over his back, where he dropped himself down and let out a triumphant ‘ook’ sound, banging on his chest.

Fluttershy let out a soft cheer, stomping her hooves in applause at the display. “That was wonderful!” She exclaimed. “I was a little worried for a second when he was in the air, but it looked like he had fun!”

Boltsinger landed in front of them, taking a bow. “So, what brings you over?” He asked her.

“Just wanted to check on the new addition to your family.” She replied, scratching Abu’s chin with her hoof.

“Well, I’m gonna go get him accustom to the library.” He began, turning to go down the hallway. “I feel like he’d love climbing around in there!” He waved a wing and cantered off, his monkey sidekick taking a secure position on his back.

Fluttershy nodded as she watched the pony leave, sitting on the floor with her gaze transfixed on the spot he had stood in. Twilight stepped up to her Pegasus friend, sitting beside her.

“Looks like they’re both pretty happy, huh?” Twilight started

“Yeah…” Fluttershy blankly responded, still sounding distracted.

Twilight looked at the mare, tilting her head. “Fluttershy?” She called out. “Hey, Fluttershy!” She waved one of her forelegs in front of her friend’s face. No response. “FLUTTERSHY!” She repeated, nudging the Pegasus with her wing.

Fluttershy blinked, shaking her head and looking at the concerned Princess. “What? What’s wrong?”

“Are you alright?” Twilight inquired. “You were staring into space.”

Fluttershy raised a hoof to her muzzle as a shade of bright pink appeared on her cheeks. “I’m fine. I just have some things on my mind.” She stated, standing up.

“Okay, then. Would you like some tea?” The Princess offered, following suit. “I’d love to hear your side of what happened in Baltimare. Boltsinger’s perspective has some… memory gaps, thanks to what happens to his mind when he’s working.”

“That sounds lovely.” The Pegasus replied. They made their way to the dining room, where Spike was sitting at the table with a comic book in his claws. Once the tea was ready and poured, Fluttershy went into her story, telling her about each thing that happened in great detail, while emphasizing how kind and supportive Boltsinger had been to her the whole time, from his humming in flight to calm her down, to catching her when she was pulled back by the lightning that held sway over him, all the way to his sharing a secret for performance, which led to her being able to confidently perform a solo in front of a crowd. “I mean, I knew he was a nice pony, but I never knew the extent of it!” She let out a small sigh as she looked into her teacup. “You’re really lucky to have somepony like him…”

Spike shot Fluttershy a knowing look, letting a smirk onto his face as the mare blushed again. “Sounds like your opinion of him has really improved.” He said, closing up his comic and getting up from the table. “You sure you were only interested in getting him a pet when you were coming home?”

“Spike! That’s enough!” Twilight started in a commanding tone. “She’s had a trying couple of days, and she doesn’t need you teasing her about it!”

The baby dragon shrugged, tucking his comic under his arm and making for the exit. “Whatever you say…”

“Don’t listen to him.” Twilight suggested. “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

“Of course…” Fluttershy agreed, her gaze unfaltered by the dragon’s comments.

Twilight looked closely at the yellow mare, wondering what all was going on. “Are you sure you’re okay? You’ve been staring at random things a lot.”

Fluttershy looked up from her cup. “What? Oh, yes. I’m sure that I’m fine.” She told her, finishing her tea. “Thank you for the tea. Gotta go! Bye!” She put her cup down, nodding to her friend and galloped away, leaving the Princess befuddled.

Days later, Rarity sat in the waiting room at the Ponyville Day Spa, looking at her pocket watch. It had been a while since she and Fluttershy had a relaxing spa day together, and she was looking forward to hearing all about her week. She looked at the door with anticipation as it opened, the Pegasus in question walking in.

“Fluttershy, darling! Finally!” She cried out, running to her friend’s side. She turned to the proprietors, raising a foreleg. “The usual, please!” In what felt like an instant, they were in the steam room, Rarity scooting closer to her. “So, how have you been this week?”

“Well, I went with Boltsinger on one of his flights not long ago.” Rarity’s eyes lit up, leaning close with the biggest grin that she could muster. Fluttershy once again told about her adventure with their mutual friend, sparing no details.

“I can’t believe you performed a solo in public, darling!” Rarity exclaimed, the two moving to their next treatment. “How did you feel?”

“I didn’t think about the performance.” Fluttershy explained. “I wanted to get home to introduce Boltsinger to his newest friend! And he chose an adorable little monkey!”

Rarity’s face twisted a bit at the thought of a monkey for a pet. “A monkey? Sounds a bit… uncouth, to me.”

“The two of them got along so well.” She thought back on the sight of her friend and his new pet, smiling warmly and looking up at the ceiling.

After a few moments, Rarity looked over at her again. “Darling, what’s on your mind?”

Fluttershy snapped out of her daze, looking back at the Unicorn. “Huh? What do you mean?”

“You look like you’ve been extremely deep in thought.” Rarity told her. “Is there something bothering you?”

“Everypony has been asking me something like that lately.” Fluttershy explained. “I have been feeling a teensey bit strange ever since we got back from Baltimare, though.”

The two ponies moved onto their next treatment. “What do you mean, dear?” Rarity asked, taking Fluttershy’s hoof in her own. “Can you describe this ‘strange feeling’ to me?”

“Well, I feel… different… when I think of Boltsinger, and when I see him.” the Pegasus continued. “I don’t know how to explain the feeling. Whenever I think of him, or when I see him, ponies have told me that I’m staring into space.”

“Like you were just now?” the Unicorn deadpanned.

“Um… Yes.” Fluttershy admitted, her cheeks flushing.

Rarity put on a concerned look, getting an idea of what might be going on in her friend’s mind. “So, what exactly are you thinking of when you’re thinking about him?”

Fluttershy smiled, spreading her wings. “Well, I already knew that he was nice, but the kind of support he showed me in Baltimare was incredible! Since then, I guess I’ve seen him in a new light.”

At the next treatment in the hot tub, Rarity placed a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “Darling, it sounds to me like you’ve come to like Boltsinger.”

“Well, of course I like him. He’s my friend!” Fluttershy stated with a confident nod.

“Nonono, dear, that’s not what I mean.” the fashionista corrected. “I mean that you like like him. Like, more than just normal. More than just a friend.”

Fluttershy reared back at the statement, raising a hoof in front of her. “What? No! I can’t possibly feel that way… He’s… He’s with Twilight! It would be wrong to… to…”

“To have a crush on him?” Rarity finished. Fluttershy’s head drooped, feeling the gravity of Rarity’s words. Her eyes grew misty as she looked over at Rarity, who pulled her close and started patting her back. “There there, dear. I know just what it’s like to have feelings for a pony who likes somepony else… But it’s not wrong to want something for yourself.”

Fluttershy raised her head, looking Rarity in the eye. “How did you deal with it?” the emotional mare asked.

“In my case, it was a silly little crush.” Rarity elaborated. “I’m not sure any advice I could offer would help.” She put a hoof on her cheek. “But you need to confront these feelings of yours, or you’ll never be able to move past them, for good or ill.”

Fluttershy took a deep breath, calming herself. “You’re right… I’ve got to sort all of this out so that I can move on…” She gave Rarity a weak smile. “Thanks, Rarity. You’re a true friend!”

“Now, let’s relax in peace, shall we?” Rarity suggested. Fluttershy laughed and nodded as the Unicorn raised a hoof. “One more round of the usual, please!”

Author's Note

Yes. Yes I have gone there, and I don't know exactly how I feel about it. But when I get hints from the characters, I follow them. Fluttershy had been hinting this at me for a LONG time.
On a side note, the monkey is, of course, named after the character of the same name in the Disney movie, Aladdin. As well as named after my stuffed monkey of the same name that I've had for the past 29 years.

Worst-kept Secrets

Fluttershy paced around her living room, looking worried as Angel watched. Rarity had brought to her attention that she may have the teensiest bit of a crush on somepony she knew. But that pony was also happily spoken for with one of her best friends ever. She was at odds with herself, but was leaning towards never bringing it up to either of them. It was for the best, after all. She stopped her pacing, taking a deep breath and turning to face the door, which swung wide open to reveal Rainbow Dash.

“Hey, Fluttershy!” She said with a wave. “You wanna get some lunch?”

Fluttershy jumped, backing away for a moment. “What?! I don’t have a crush on him!” She blurted out.

“Whoa, I didn’t say anything about crushes!” the Wonderbolt corrected. She furrowed her brow, looking at her friend curiously. “Wait... Who are you even talking about?”

Fluttershy calmed down, walking over to her. “Oh, nothing. It’s not important.” She headed out the door, Rainbow Dash’s gaze following her. “Lunch sounds lovely.” She took off, her friend following suit.

“Okay…” She flew on, the two of them making their way to Hay Burger.

Hours later, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie were gathered in the throne room of the castle in their respective seats. They looked around, knowing full well that not everypony that would usually be in the room was there.

Rainbow Dash was the first to speak, clearing her throat. “So, I know Fluttershy isn’t here, but… There’s a reason for that.” She sank into her throne. “I didn’t invite her to this gathering.” The other ponies in the room simultaneously gasped.

“Why the hay wouldn’t you invite ‘er to this?” Applejack asked, leaning towards the rainbow-maned pony. “She’s just as much a part of this as any of us!”

“Well… It’s about Fluttershy.” Dash admitted. “You’ve seen her these past few days, right? I invited her to lunch, and she blurted something about a ‘crush’, then brushed it off like it was nothing! I think something is really bothering her. She just doesn’t want to admit it.”

“So, what do you want us to do about it?” Twilight asked. “If she doesn’t want to admit it, it wouldn’t be right of us to force it out of her.”

Rainbow Dash shook her head. “I don’t think so. If this keeps getting to her, she could get distracted from more important things!” She turned to face the entrance as if anticipating the mare’s arrival. “You know how fragile she can be. If this gets bad, it could scare her into never leaving her house!”

Rarity’s head sank. “Dashie has a point…” She told them. “I’ve talked to Fluttershy about her recent goings-on already, but I still worry. She’s so terribly shy that she may try to bottle all of this up rather than facing it like I suggested.”

“Do ya happen to know just who she’s so flustered about?” Applejack wondered.

“Has she not told you about her recent adventure?” Rarity replied. “It’s obvious to anypony who knows about that.”

Twilight looked suspiciously at Rarity, then directed her eyes towards Fluttershy’s empty throne. “I’ve heard about what happened from both her and Boltsinger… But what does that have to do with…” Her eyes widened. “... Oh.” She got up from her seat, waving to the other mares. “Excuse me!” With that, she disappeared in a bright magenta flash.

“Y’all wanna explain this to me?” Applejack requested.

In the master bedroom of the castle, Boltsinger was sitting on the couch, his wings extended straight out. Abu was swinging back and forth between said wings and the stallion’s outstretched tail as he read. He was just getting to the best part of the book when he heard the telltale ‘poof’ of teleportation.

“Hi, Twilight.” He said, raising a hoof as he kept reading. Twilight magically grasped the book, lifting it away to reveal a stern expression. “You alright?”

“Did you know about how Fluttershy has been acting?” Twilight asked.

“Um… She’s been acting like Fluttershy.” He answered. “I haven’t seen her in a few days. Why?”

“You haven’t noticed her... staring?” the Princess continued.

“What would she be staring at?” He conjectured. “Are you talking about since Baltimare?”

“You really have no idea, do you?” she inquired. She got onto the couch and dropped the book back onto his lap.

Boltsinger marked his book, putting it aside. “No idea about what? What’s bothering you?” His wings returned to their resting position as his monkey sidekick hung from his neck, looking at the Princess.

Twilight let out a sigh. “It’s nothing you need to worry about. You didn’t do anything wrong.” She gave him a hug and made for the door. Before she exited, she quickly turned around, squinting her eyes. “Are you sure you haven’t noticed anything different about Fluttershy?”

Boltsinger scratched his muzzle with a wing. “Um… Maybe she’s been a little more forward? I dunno. Maybe performing that solo boosted her confidence. Is that bad?”

Twilight took a deep breath, smiling. “No, that’s not bad at all. I’ll tell you all about it later. Sorry to bother you!”

Boltsinger blinked, confused. “You never bother me. You know that.” He stated. “Well… Whatever’s going on, I hope you can resolve it. Tell everypony I said ‘hi’.”

“I will.” Twilight confirmed, heading out the door. She made her way back to the throne room the normal way. He doesn’t seem to have a clue about all this… she thought to herself. What could have gotten into Fluttershy’s head?

“So yer tellin’ me that those two were in Baltimare for two whole days together, and somehow he managed to sweep her right offa her hooves?” Applejack asked as Twilight entered the room. “Does ‘e even know ‘e did that?”

“Apparently not.” Twilight informed them, coming into the room and sitting in her throne. “He’s pretty oblivious to the whole situation. And I would rather keep it that way for now.”

“You sure that’s the best idea?” the farm pony queried, leaning on the map towards the Princess. “He ain’t exactly a dunce, y’know. I’d bet the farm he’ll figure it out whether ya tell ‘im or not.”

“Well, what if we distracted him?” Pinkie suggested. “He does so much stuff already, with Twilight doing all the tutoring stuff, and working at the farm. It would be super easy to keep him occupied!”

Rarity pondered the idea for a moment. “I do have some outfits in mind for stallions in my next collection… Perhaps I can enlist his help making them?”

“Well, whatever we do, we just need to make sure he doesn’t catch onto Fluttershy’s feelings!” Rainbow Dash interjected. “And the rest of us can go and help Fluttershy!” She held a hoof out as the other four ponies placed their hooves on top of hers, all of them nodding in agreement. “Just one question… How do we help her?”

Boltsinger found himself in Rarity’s boutique, wearing what looked to be a loose-fitting white outfit with gold trim and a cape that extended out over his tail. There was a poofy turban-like hat on his head with an eliptical red jewel at the base and a purple feather extending out from under it. Rarity was sewing everything in place, humming to herself as she went.

“So, why did you need my help with this?” He asked. “Don’t you have mannequins for that?”

“Yes, but I wanted to make sure the pony modeling the outfit had a good fit!” Rarity explained, getting another seam done. “You did help with the inspiration for this line, after all!”

“Wait, what?” the stallion started, looking at the outfit. “All I did was tell you about the story I got Abu’s name from!”

“Yes, and that inspired me to create a whole line based on those delightful stories!” She told him, tugging on the cape while she excitedly raised her head. “And, who better to model the outfit that Alkham Fahm wore when he took the persona of Eazri Almas than the stallion who, himself, got together with a Princess in one of the most unlikely scenarios imaginable?” Boltsinger took on a blank expression. Rarity dropped the cape and backed off a few steps. “I mean, it was unlikely, but that doesn’t make it any less lovely!”

The stallion looked at the outfit, raising his wings and performing a twinkling gesture with his feathers. “You know I’m not an Earth Pony, right?” He pointed out. “Alkham didn’t have wings.”

“Yes, but outfits can be accomodated to anypony of any kind! This will just help to prove that!” she said, adjusting his hat a little. “There, it’s perfect!” She backed up, taking a good look at him.

“Good! Can I take it off now?” He requested. “It’s nice, but it’s weird, too. I feel like I can’t quite fly so well with all the loose fabric.”

Rarity gave a nod, putting a changing curtain between them as the Pegasus slipped out of the fancy outfit. “Besides, I’ve used up enough of your time for one day. I’m certain everything is fine now.”

Boltsinger poked his head out from behind the curtain. “Why wouldn’t everything be fine?” He asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Rarity floated the outfit over to a hanger, putting it with some of the other outfits she had made. “What? I didn’t say anything like that!” She fibbed, looking back and forth.

“What’s going on?” He inquired, stepping closer to her. “Does this have anything to do with whatever Twilight was talking about when she interrogated me yesterday?”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about!” she told him, backing away and shaking her head. “There’s nothing going on!”

Boltsinger scrunched his face, leaning in closer still. “Can you explain why I’ve been feeling like I did something really bad to Fluttershy, then?”

“You… you do?” Rarity wondered. “But, darling, you know you didn’t do anything bad. She just has a crush on you, is--” Her hooves rose from the floor, clamping her mouth shut. Boltsinger looked at her, wide-eyed and slack-jawed. “Oh dear… I’ve said too much, haven’t I?”

The stallion shook his head. “You think?!” He let out a frustrated groan that shook the entire boutique. “Oh, Celestia, what am I gonna do?!” He began pacing around the room. “I know you didn’t mean to, but… Why did you have to tell me that?!” He brought his wings up to his head, rubbing his temples. His rump hit the floor as he breathed a loud and heavy sigh. “You know what I’m gonna have to do, right?” He looked at Rarity, who sat back with wide eyes and shook her head. He looked at the floor, pawing it with his hoof. “I have to turn her down. And… So, what does Twilight think about all this?”

“I think she’s mostly just worried about her friend.” Rarity told him. “After she… interrogated… you, she wanted to keep it a secret from you so that we could all focus on helping Fluttershy.”

After a few minutes of thought, Boltsinger finally rose to his hooves. “Okay… Okay, I think I know what to do…” He moved to exit the building. “I’ll just… um… Yeah, that’s it!” He turned to Rarity. “I’ve gotta go. I need to do a few things and… think this over some more…” He waved a wing as he rushed out the door.

Sitting at a table in the library, Boltsinger was writing on a piece of parchment, mumbling to himself as he went. Twilight trotted in, heading over to the stallion. “What’re you doing?” She asked, taking a look at the paper.

“Writing to Sunburst.” He answered. He clenched his jaw tighter on the quill as he kept going. “Rarity spilled your little secret, by the way…”

“My what?” Twilight replied, taken aback. “What do you mean, secret? I don’t have a secret! We talk to each other about everything, remember? You’re silly…”

Boltsinger sat up, spitting out the quill and looking at her sternly. “How’s Fluttershy doing? You able to get her to face her feelings?” He picked the quill up again and dipped it in the ink. “I doubt she’s actually done so. She’s not very honest with herself sometimes…”

“Oh… That secret…” the Princess admitted. “You’re right, though… She just spent the day talking about her animals, and denied every little thing we said about you.”

Boltsinger took a deep breath, the air nearly visible as it came out of his nostrils. “I understand you wanting to keep it from me, really I do… But I wish you hadn’t. No matter what, I hate what I’m going to have to do.” He finished his writing and rolled the parchment into a scroll as Twilight stepped back.

“You’re not gonna…?” She began.

“Don’t worry, I still love you.” He affirmed. “Nothing will ever change that. It’s Fluttershy I’m worried about.” He moved to the center of the room and took a binding, sealing the scroll shut. “I know how emotional Fluttershy can get, and how easy it is to… make her cry… It kills me just to even imagine her heartbroken…” He turned to face the Alicorn once more. “But I feel like that’s the only thing I can do to help her face her feelings and get past them. And… once I do that, I don’t know what’s going to happen. So…” He pointed to the scroll with his wing. “I’ve written to Sunburst, asking if he can accommodate me for a while.”

“What? Why would he need to have you over?” Twilight queried.

“So that I don’t get in between you two.” He explained, picking the scroll up and tucking it under his wing. “Your friendships are quite literally one of the most important things in all of Equestria to maintain. I do not want to be the thing that creates a rift between you. So, I’m going to give both of you some space.” He put his wing on her shoulder. “Focus on your friendship, and try to mend any damage that I may cause. Then send word when you’re ready. I’ll do… what I have to… once I’ve heard back from Sunburst, okay?”

Twilight hung her head. He had made a good argument, but the thought of a heartbroken Fluttershy was, indeed, a lot to bear. She looked into his eyes, seeing the sad determination in them, and relented. “Okay… But don’t be gone too long, all right?”

Boltsinger smiled and planted a kiss on her cheek. “Only as long as I need to be. Besides, it’s a good chance to catch up with Sunburst! Maybe I’ll go visit Flurry Heart while I’m at it!” He headed over to the exit, calling for Spike.

The Princess of Friendship moved to one of the many chairs dotting the room, sitting down and taking a look at her pendant. “I just hope the damage won’t be too bad…”

Author's Note

I know I could have gone on longer, but I felt like it needed just one more chapter. Not everyone who needs to be involved is involved yet, and I want to give that the attention it deserves.
On a side note, did you notice a couple of the name-drops? Alkham Fahm and Eazri Almas, in particular. They are the names I came up with for the Saddle-Arabian equivalent to the Arabian Nights (and Disney) character, Aladdin and his princely alter-ego whose name I can't remember how to spell. The names translate from Arabic into "Rough Coal" and "Pristine Diamond", as a reference to characters referring to him as a "diamond in the rough". Google Translate was a big help on that one. What do you think?

Kindness' Courage

Sitting in the music room of the castle, Boltsinger was alone, thinking about what he was going to say when next he saw his most emotionally fragile friend. What he had to do was clear, but that didn’t make it any easier. He went into the hallway, making for the bedroom as Spike ran up to him.

“Bolt! You got a reply from Sunburst!” the dragon called out, handing him a scroll.

“Thanks.” the Pegasus said, taking the scroll with his wing and opening it up. “Looks like he’s okay with having me, but he seems a little confused as to what’s going on.” He tucked it under his wing and started back down the hallway. “I’ll explain it when I get there, I guess. I just wish I didn’t have to do this…” He breathed a sigh as he went.

“Have you figured out what you’re gonna do?” Spike inquired, hopping onto his back.

“It’s… pretty obvious what I have to do.” He looked back at the dragon as they went. “I just don’t wanna.”

“So… why are you going to?” the dragon wondered. “You could just let the girls take care of it. They’ve got it covered.”

Boltsinger took a deep breath, moving over to a nearby open window. “So, Twilight told me once about this time where Rainbow was in denial of Tank having to hibernate for winter. You remember that, right?”

“Yeah, she went pretty crazy.” Spike confirmed. “What about it?”

“Do you know how they solved that problem?” the stallion queried.

“Yeah, Fluttershy just told Rainbow Dash the… oh.” Spike’s face sank, realizing what was going on. Boltsinger nodded, moving away from the window.

Fluttershy moved about her cottage, feeding the animals and going about her typical business. She had to keep her mind occupied, and her standard responsibilities were amazing for that job. Although it did mean that some of the animals go a little… overfed. She went for the door outside, opening it and stepping out while taking a deep breath.

“Well, you seem perplexed.” a friendly voice called from behind. “Something on your mind?” From an arching position around the door, Discord snaked his way around Fluttershy, who smiled at the familiar face.

“Oh, nothing important.” She fibbed, heading over to another den while dragging an obscenely large bag of food behind her. “I’m just… feeding the animals! Nothing unusual going on! I don’t feel any different!” She let out a few bursts of nervous laughter as the Draconequus took note of the animals’ shuddering at the frantic filly’s food pile.

“You’re certain?” He asked, materializing in front of her. “There’s nothing on your mind that could be making you overwork yourself?” Fluttershy closed her eyes and gave the most stubborn nod she could muster. “Fine.” He snapped his claws, a flying teapot materializing and zipping around the area and pouring its contents into a cup in front of Fluttershy. “If you won’t tell me outright, I’ll just have to get it out of you another way.” He snapped his claws again, the two of them appearing in her living room with everything laid out for their typical gathering. “Start at the beginning!”

Fluttershy looked at her less than harmonious friend, seeing genuine interest lighting up his red pupils. “Well, it started about a week ago…”

“Ah, yes, your little ‘adventure’ in Baltimare with Bolt.” he interrupted, snapping his claws to cause Fluttershy to describe the entire trip as if she were being put on fast-forward. “Everypony’s already heard that story. Now get to the good stuff!” Time returned to normal, Fluttershy coming out of the story with a genuine smile and a bright pink blush.

“And then, we came home, and Boltsinger adopted an adorable little monkey!” She giggled at the memory, raising a hoof to her muzzle. “They looked so happy together!” She looked into her reflection in the teacup.

Discord’s eye appeared inside the cup, his tiny head popping out of it. “And then what happened?” He asked, stepping out and refreshing her drink as she quickly snapped back to normal. “I assume all was normal?”

“Well, I went over to the castle to make sure it was all going okay, and Twilight told me that I was staring at things…” She continued. “Then, at the spa with Rarity, she told me that I might have a cr--” She caught herself mid-word, putting her saucer down and covering her mouth with her wings.

“A cr-what?” Discord repeated. “A crazy good time at the next big party?” He snapped them to a jazzy club, wearing a bright orange zoot suit while Fluttershy appeared in a simple black evening gown. “A crash into a bunch of storm clouds?” He snapped once more, the two appearing in the sky above Ponyville with a long line of storm clouds closing in on them. He snapped his claws once more, the two appearing back in the mare’s abode. “Tell me!”

Fluttershy laughed at the chaos spirit’s antics, finally deciding to relent. “A crush.” She informed him.

Discord’s face literally sank. He squinted his eyes in stifled anger. “I see…” He growled. “I take it I know the stallion in question?” Fluttershy smiled and nodded. “Very well, then, let’s bring him here!”

Fluttershy raised a hoof to him as he brought his claw up. “No, please, Discord, don’t!” As she pleaded, the claws came together and a snap brought an orange-coated Pegasus stallion into the room, walking as if nothing had changed.

“--is why aside from Hum Drum, Masked Matterhorn is probably the best of the Power Ponies!” Boltsinger turned his head to look at his back, opening his eyes. “You get it, Spike?” His eyes went from relaxed to wide as he noticed the sudden change. “Oh…” He looked around the room, seeing Discord glaring literal daggers at him, Fluttershy looking pleadingly at the Draconequus. “Hi, Discord. Um… What am I doing here?”

Discord lifted the stallion up with his eagle talon. “Don’t play games with me… You know why you’re here!” He directed the pony’s attention towards Fluttershy, then back at himself. “I want an explanation!”

Boltsinger snorted at the creature holding him. “You’re right. I do owe somepony an explanation.” He raised a hoof, covering Discord’s mouth. “But not to you.” He gave him a stern look. “Put me down. Now.” Discord reared his head back, a bit surprised at the command. He opened his claws, dropping the stallion to the floor. He pointed his wing at the only non-pony in the room. “Now, you need to stay quiet through this. If you’re gonna force the issue, then you need to see it through!” Discord’s pupils shrank as his mouth literally fell off of his face, sitting down on the couch.

Fluttershy lowered her forelegs, looking at the stallion while trying to suppress her longing. “Um… Hello, Boltsinger…” She greeted, hiding her face behind her mane.

Boltsinger slapped his muzzle with his wings as he turned to face the mare, mentally preparing himself. “It’s good to see you, Fluttershy.” He told her, stepping closer and sitting on the couch. “I’ve got a lot to say… I was gonna wait until I could word it better, or at least until Twilight told me it was at least a little safe, but… Well, Discord is being Discord. Are you willing to listen to me?”

“Of course, Boltsinger.” She confirmed, looking back at him. “What do you need to talk about?”

“I think you know.” He stated. Fluttershy sighed, nodding and looking away. “Rarity told me how you’ve been feeling since Baltimare. I know you have… feelings… for me.” He placed his wing on her shoulder. “And I’m really flattered by that. Believe me. But… You know how I feel.” He put his hoof under her chin and directed her misting eyes towards him. “If I’m going to be totally honest here, I gotta say that you are easily the single-bravest pony I have ever met.”

“But I’m always so afraid of everything…” She contradicted, starting to breathe heavily. “I always worry about the smallest things, and…”

“And that’s how I know you’re so brave.” He confirmed. “You’re so scared of so many things… But you always face those fears! And every single time, you become a stronger pony because of that! And… I need you to be brave again…” Fluttershy’s ears drooped as the tears began falling. “I need you to keep on being my friend. ‘Cause I simply can’t imagine my life without you as my friend.”

“Really?” the mare wondered, sniffing up some of her sobs.

“Absolutely.” He told her. “If you hadn’t been so brave as to become my friend on that day in Canterlot, I probably would have just flown away and never looked back. I may not think about you romantically, but that doesn’t mean that there’s no love there, you got that?” Fluttershy tried to wipe her eyes, her heavy breathing taking hold as she broke down completely. She leaned into Boltsinger, who put his forelegs around her and stroked her mane with his wing. “You are one of the seven most important ponies in my life. My chosen family! It’s a different kind of love, but it’s there, and that will never change. So, please, don’t cut me out of your life… Okay?”

“Okay…” She replied between sobs, putting her own forelegs on the friend that held her.

“Thank you, Fluttershy.” He tightened his embrace, letting her keep going for as long as she needed to.

Discord’s face drooped as his body turned back to what was normal for him. For the first time in his life, he found himself utterly speechless. On one claw, he was furious at Boltsinger for making the most important pony in his eyes cry like this, but on the other, he knew that she needed a release, and that this would be the best thing for her. He reached his lion paw out towards the mare, gingerly placing it on her back as she wept.

Several minutes passed, and the crying died down. Twilight and the others came into the cottage, gazing at the scene before them with mouths agape. Fluttershy raised her head as the embrace between the two Pegasi finally broke, both of them looking at the new arrivals.

“Hey, Twilight.” Boltsinger greeted, waving one of his wings. He got up from the couch, heading over and giving her a hug. He raised his muzzle to her ear. “She’s gonna need some time. Let me know when it’s safe to come back, okay?” he whispered.

Twilight turned to look at the stallion, returning his embrace. “Okay.”

The orange Pegasus broke the hug, stepping back a bit. “I’m gonna be in the Crystal Empire for a while, staying with Sunburst. Just for a little while.” He walked past the other ponies and out the door.

Discord patted Fluttershy’s back a few more times, turning to Boltsinger, unrivaled fury in his eyes. “You’re going to the Crystal Empire, are you?!” His eyes flashed red as he disappeared, materializing next to the stallion. “Let me help you…” He gripped the air in front of him with his talon, magically lifting him into the air. “... on your WAY!!!” He made a throwing motion, sending the stallion flying northward at an incredible speed. Discord lingered in the throwing position, hyperventilating.

“Discord!” a soft voice yelled from the cottage.

“WHAT?!” He yelled in return, turning his head to look back at the ponies. Fluttershy stood in the doorway, her eyes puffy, but her gaze intense.

“Why did you do that?!” the kind mare asked him, walking over to the angry creature.

“He deserved it for putting you through this!” He fumed, clutching the air in front of him with both of his forelimbs. “If he hadn’t swept you away in the first place, then you would never have had to deal with all of these… feelings!” He slumped over, reaching out to his friend. “It just brought me so much pain to see you in such a state. I couldn’t help but get mad…”

“But he did help me.” Fluttershy informed him. “Yes, I was hiding from how I felt. And those feelings haven’t gone away.” She raised a hoof to her heart, stepping closer to Discord. “But now I’m certain of how I feel, and I know I can face it. I’ll become stronger, like he said!” She flew up next to Discord, putting a hoof on his shoulder. “I’m touched that you got so angry for my sake. But I think you owe Boltsinger an apology when he gets back. Don’t you think?”

Discord smiled at the pony closest to his heart. She bore a smile in return, clearly not entirely healed, but well on her way. “I suppose you’re right... “ He agreed, putting his lion paw on the outstretched hoof.

Fluttershy turned to Twilight, landing in front of her. “I’m sorry I got all those… feelings for your special somepony.”

Twilight smiled warmly and gave her friend a big hug. “I don’t blame you. I got feelings for him, too, after all.” She backed up, keeping her hoof on the Pegasus. “Just feel better soon, okay?” Fluttershy slowly nodded, walking past her and into her cottage. “Let’s get together for tea tomorrow, okay?” Twilight called out.

Fluttershy poked her head back out, beaming. “That sounds lovely!”

Author's Note

I understand that this was shorter than my typical chapters these days, but this was a little hard for me to write. Just imagining Fluttershy in such a state made me feel like a horrible person, so writing it out, even thought I had a good idea of what to do, was really difficult for me. Next chapter should be an interesting one as well. I've already got the idea buzzing in my brain!

Crash-a-versary

Summer was beginning. Boltsinger was back home in Ponyville, and life was getting back to normal. The morning sun rose along with the ponies living in the castle, save for one. Twilight turned to see the Pegasus next to her, seeing him sleeping like a foal and smiling. She decided not to wake him up just yet, given what day it was. She had a lot to do, and not much time in which to do it. But with her friends on the case with her, she knew it would get done quickly and without any issues.

“Okay,” the Princess started, getting up and floating over a checklist. “First, we need to get to Canterlot to finish preparations. Pinkie should have everything there, and everypony else is helping with decorations today.” She moved to her mirror, beginning her morning routine as she kept reading through. “We’ve got DJ PON-3 and Octavia for music, and both the Apples and Sugar Belle are providing catering.” She looked back at the sleeping Pegasus. “I just need to keep him occupied.” Boltsinger let out a loud snore. “That shouldn’t be too hard!”

A loud yawn permeated the walls of the castle, Boltsinger rose from the bed and looked out a nearby window. The breeze rolled in, and the day felt like it was going to be an interesting one. He had been living in Ponyville for quite some time, and he was feeling nostalgic.

Twilight walked by the open door to the bedroom, humming to herself as she spotted the orange pony moving around. “Oh! Good morning, Bolt!” She greeted, walking into the room. “How did you sleep?”

Boltsinger yawned, stretching his wings. “‘Bout as well as usual.” He looked fondly at the smiling Princess. She had a twinkle in her eye that he had come to understand as her having some kind of project in the works. “So, whatcha got planned for today?” Twilight tilted her head, trying to feign confusion. Boltsinger laughed and walked by, placing a wing around her to pull her with him as he went. “Maybe it’s just cause I’ve been living with you for a long time, but something about you tells me you’ve got a plan for today.”

Twilight giggled as they walked. “Okay, you got me. We’re going to Canterlot, and you and I are going to spend the day together! There’s still a few places and ponies you haven’t seen, after all.”

Boltsinger smiled and nodded, looking ahead. “Sounds good. I’ll be ready to fly after breakfast.”

“Actually,” the Alicorn interjected. “I think I want to take the train today. It takes longer, but it’s more comfortable, too. I want us to take our time with things today.”

Boltsinger was slightly perplexed by the suggestion, but gave an understanding nod. “All right. It is your schedule, after all.”

The two ponies continued through their morning normally, having a quick breakfast and making their way to the train station with little deviation. Boltsinger noticed a distinct absence all day, as if Spike and Starlight hadn’t been home, and none of his other friends were in town. Not even the Cutie Mark Crusaders or his musician friends. It felt off. After a long ride, they got off the train in Canterlot. Twilight trotted ahead with Boltsinger soon following suit into the town.

“So, there are a few friends of mine here in Canterlot that I haven’t introduced you to yet.” Twilight began, moving down the street. “I’ve known them since I was in school, and I think you’d like them!”

The two of them came to a recently fixed up ramshackle cottage. Twilight walked up to the door and knocked on it sharply. It opened to reveal a white-coated Unicorn mare with a red mane that bore purple streaks similar to Twilight’s, but pulled up above her horn and tied with pink beads. She wore a pair of large, black-framed glasses over her purple eyes, and a loose-fitting black sweater with pink buttons, and had a Cutie Mark of a purple crescent moon with red stars around it. Her nose was buried in a book that floated in front of her, looking up from it slightly with a surprised smile.

“Twilight!” The mare started, putting her book aside to hug the Alicorn. “What brings you over today?”

Twilight reciprocated the embrace, then took a step back, pulling Boltsinger close with her wing. “We’re spending the day in Canterlot today, and I thought it would be a good idea to introduce everypony!”

The mare looked intriguingly at the Pegasus, scrunching her face as if she were analyzing him. “And this is…?”

“Moon Dancer, I’d like you to meet Boltsinger!” Twilight announced, gesturing to the pony next to her. The stallion raised his free wing.

Moon Dancer stepped up to the Pegasus, examining him. “Is this that stallion who showed up last year you were talking about?” She asked, looking him in the eye.

Boltsinger nodded to her. “Yes, I am.” He told her. Realization struck as he looked back at Twilight. “Wait, you told everypony here about me, too?”

“Of course!” She confirmed, confidently raising her head. “I told all of my friends about you!” She walked over to Moon Dancer, leaning in close. “I thought meeting everypony here would be a good way to pass the time before the party tonight. You’re welcome to come if you like.”

Moon Dancer looked at her foalhood friend, a knowing look behind her glasses. “Does he know about this party?” Twilight shook her head. “What kind of party is this?”

“Pinkie calls it his ‘crash-a-versary’.” she explained. “He has no idea what day it is, and she wants to keep it a surprise.”

Moon Dancer smirked, looking back at Boltsinger. “I see. You wanna get Minuette, Lemon Hearts, and Twinkleshine in on this?”

“Of course!” Twilight exclaimed, trotting onward. She swished her tail against Boltsinger’s muzzle as she went, turning on his goofy smile as he turned to follow her.

Twilight and Moon Dancer led Boltsinger through the streets of Canterlot, introducing him to three other Unicorn mares. One was a blue-coated mare with a mane and tail with two shades of blue, and an hourglass as a Cutie Mark. The other two had the same mane and tail style. The first had a yellow coat, hot pink eyes, and blue hair with a Cutie Mark of three hearts of blue and green, while the other had a white coat, blue eyes, pink hair, and a Cutie Mark of three twinkling blue stars. They were, by far, the friendliest ponies he had ever met in Canterlot, save for the Royal Sisters. They went to some of Twilight’s favorite museums, where he learned more of the history of Equestria from a more nuanced perspective. Before long, evening had come. Boltsinger was excited to head back home. Something told him that Twilight had other plans, though.

“Before we go home, I want to pay a visit to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna at the castle.” Twilight informed him. “Is that alright?”

Boltsinger smirked, knowing that she had something in the works. “No problems here.” He stated. They waved goodbye to Twilight’s Canterlot friends, making their way towards the residence of Canterlot’s royal element.

“So, do you know how long it’s been since you first moved to Ponyville?” Twilight asked as they walked through the halls.

Boltsinger tilted his head, thinking back on all the time that had passed. “Well, it was pretty early in summer when I first met Princess Luna. And right now it’s… Wait a minute…”

Twilight looked at him eagerly, navigating the halls without a second thought. “Yes…?”

“Has it really been a whole year?” He wondered, putting his wing up to his muzzle.

Twilight let out an excited giggle as the two stopped walking. She stepped aside to reveal that they had walked into the castle ballroom, decorated with streamers, balloons, with a large table in the center of the room that had a cake sitting on top of it, with orange frosting and electric blue lightning patterns lining the corners.

“SURPRISE!” Came a plethora of voices all around. Boltsinger reared back a few steps, looking all around the room. There stood the Apple Siblings, Applejack, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom, along with Rarity, Sweetie Belle, Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Starlight, Sunburst, Sugar Belle, Trixie, Spike, and two ponies he never thought he’d see at a party like this one.

“Well met, Boltsinger!” Luna called from the center of the room, walking towards him. “I trust you didn’t slam into any walls today?”

Boltsinger looked at the Princess of the Night, who was joined by her sister, then back at Twilight. “You invited the Princesses?” He asked her, looking between the Alicorns rapidly. “And they came?!” He directed his attention at the Royal Sisters. “Don’t you two have major duties to attend to?”

Celestia laughed, walking over to the Pegasus. “Twilight invited us as soon as Pinkie put the guest list together, and that was months ago!” Pinkie nodded profusely. “So we’ve had this time set aside.”

Boltsinger’s mouth hung open, looking around at all of the ponies in the room. “All because I crashed into a wall…”

Pinkie Pie sped over to Boltsinger, putting her hoof around him as she walked him over to the cake. “Actually… There’s more to it than that!” She directed his attention to the top of the cake. “Yes, it’s your crash-a-versary, but… You remember how right when spring started, you said you didn’t know when your birthday was and that the only pony in Equestria that might know what day that is was your brother Brightling?”

Boltsinger nodded. “Yeah, I remember you got one of your ‘I-just-got-the-best-idea-ever’ gasps and suddenly left when I told you.”

“I went all the way to Vanhoover!” the party pony continued. “And then I tracked down your brother, and I got the information out of him!” She turned his head, getting him to look closely at the cake and read the top of it. “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!” She shouted, the other ponies in the room joining in.

The stallion read the words on the cake, which said ‘Happy birthday and crash-a-versary’, completely dumbfounded. His rump hit the floor as he looked at the gathering of his friends. “Do you mean to tell me that the day that led to the biggest and best change of my whole life… The one that led me to meeting all of the ponies I care about most… Was my own birthday?”

“Yes, indeed-y!” Pinkie Pie confirmed. Boltsinger brought his wings forward, looking hard at them. A moment later, a wide smile formed on his muzzle, and he burst into laughter.

“I guess that means yer wings ain’t always workin’ against ya, huh?” Applejack noted.

Boltsinger’s laughter continued for one more minute, where he stood and turned to Pinkie Pie. “You seriously got this from Brightling?” He wondered.

“You bet your bundt cake I did!” She stated. “He’s silly. I think he may be even more excitable than you used to be! But he did ask how you were doing.”

“Well, that’s a bit of a surprise.” Boltsinger joked, heading over to the larger group.

“I was surprised, too. But he said…” Pinkie shook her head, her mane turning into a pink version of Brightling’s. “‘I may not like him, but he’s still my brother, after all.’” She blew into her hoof, the frizzy mane popping back into place. “And then when I told him about you, he looked pretty confused.”

Boltsinger scoffed, turning to face everypony. “Well, enough about that. I’d rather focus on the ponies that are here.” He cleared his throat. “So… I wasn’t really… expecting a party of any kind today. And I definitely wouldn’t have expected a turnout like this one! So… Thank you!”

As the stallion finished, Pinkie jumped onto his back to stand on her hind legs. “Cue the music!!!” She cried, pointing at the back of the room. A fog rolled in, multicolored lights turning on to reveal a familiar speaker setup. DJ PON-3 spun a record in her hoof, putting it into place as the sound of a cello reverberated through the room. Octavia sat atop one of the speakers, instrument at the ready as the beat took shape. Twilight ran to her special somepony, putting a wing around him and taking him to the dance floor where the two began dancing in the goofiest manner imaginable. They were soon joined by Pinkie, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Big Mac, Sugar Belle, and, much to everypony’s surprise, Princess Celestia, who danced in much the same manner as her student.

After several songs had finished, Boltsinger left the dance floor, taking a seat beside one of many food-covered tables. He looked at the ponies strewn throughout the room, several of them coming over and offering congratulations or birthday wishes. Rarity gave the stallion a big hug, while Fluttershy meekly offered a wing. Rainbow Dash stood beside him and gave him a hard hoof to the back, sending him to the floor where Applejack helped him back up. After Spike handed him a special mint condition variant cover of his favorite Power Ponies issue, Princess Luna finally stepped forward again.

“Best wishes to you on this day, Boltsinger.” she said, sitting beside him. “I am pleased to see that the idea I had so long ago would bear such fruit.”

“It really did change my life for the better.” the stallion agreed. He looked to the Princess next to him, smiling. “Thank you.”

“I must confess, I did have an ulterior motive for attending.” Luna continued. Boltsinger looked at her perplexingly. “I was wondering if the presence in your dreams had returned. I have not been able to return to your dreams ever since that night.”

“Really?” he wondered, putting his hoof up to his face. “Well, I’ve had my share of weird dreams, but I haven’t directly seen her. Maybe little signs? Something like a silhouette every now and then. But nothing harmful.”

Luna’s head sank. She knew what this implied, and it was not good. “I see… If her presence has, indeed, returned, then there is a chance its influence may grow in power once more. I will endeavor to aid you as much as I can, but I can make no guarantees as long as the walls around your dreams are so thick.”

Boltsinger put his wing on the Princess’ back. “Thank you. But, please, don’t let it get in the way of helping anypony else. I’m just one pony, after all.”

“Very well.” Luna agreed, standing at her full height. “For now, though, let us enjoy the party. Pinkie Pie put forth a lot of effort to make it happen.” Boltsinger nodded in agreement, standing up and flying over to Twilight, where the two of them mingled with everypony else. Looking at the two ponies, Luna smiled to herself as she noted the lilac Alicorn. “Perhaps… I have been approaching the problem in the wrong manner…”

Author's Note

Before you ask, yes, there are plans to further the overarching plot in the works. I've got a few things in mind. I hope you enjoy each and every one of them!

Unexpected Company

A knock came at the door to the castle, emanating throughout the structure. It repeated several times, slow and deliberate as the Princess of Friendship got up from the work she was doing. She lit up her horn to try and teleport there, but each rap at the door broke her concentration. She grew increasingly frustrated as the knocking panged at her eardrums, her pace starting to match the sound. After a minute of walking through the foyer, she finally reached the door, encasing it in her magic.

“Yes! I hear you!” She shouted, swinging the door open wide. She jutted her head forward, an annoyed look on her face. “What do you want?!”

In the doorway stood a grey-coated mare with a turned-up nose that Twilight had last seen in a memory provided by Boltsinger. “Well, that’s not a very friendly greeting, now is it, Princess?” she teased, walking past the Alicorn and into the castle. Twilight gawked at her as she sauntered by, turning to look back at her. “What’s wrong? Were you expecting somepony else?”

“Dimming Sparks?!” Twilight started, her head rearing back as her eyes grew wide. She squinted, turning to face the pony with her head low. “What are you doing here?”

“Just ‘Sparks’, please.” She replied, looking sternly at the Princess. “Anyway, I’ve heard such good things about Ponyville, I thought I’d pay it a visit.” She walked farther into the castle. “Is my ‘brother-in-law’ home, by any chance?”

“He’s not home at the moment.” Twilight informed her, trotting past the Unicorn. “Somepony somewhere needed his help, so he took off not long ago. I still don’t know where just yet.” She opened the door to the throne room, seeing Boltsinger’s Cutie Mark floating above it, moving rapidly to the southeast.

“You mean he just took off, knowing that somepony needed help?” Sparks asked in disbelief. “That sounds preposterous… Nopony is that noble!”

Twilight huffed at her unexpected guest, sitting in her throne in as proper a manner as she could manage. “He doesn’t have control over when it happens. His wings do it on their own, and he helps whoever might need him when he lands.”

Sparks squinted at the mark hovering above the map. “I see… Well, then, I guess you are going to show me around, aren’t you?”

Twilight’s gazed snapped in Sparks’ direction. “What?! No, you’re leaving my castle. Right now.”

“Now is that any way to treat a guest, Princess Twilight?” the Unicorn teased, walking past the Alicorn’s throne in her slow but deliberate manner. “You’d think the one meant to spread the ‘magic of friendship’ across Equestria would be more welcoming.”

The Princess in question rose from her seat, walking over to the intruding pony with a fierce look in her eyes. “I’m perfectly welcoming to anypony who is open to the idea of friendship.” she explained, lighting up her horn. “But somepony like you, who has put somepony important to me through so much grief, I have no patience for!” She lifted the Unicorn with her magic, making her way back towards the already-open front door.

Sparks’ own horn lit up, cancelling out the magenta aura surrounding her. She fell to the floor and shot Twilight a smug look. “But I haven’t wronged you in any way, have I?” She trotted up close to the lilac pony, turning her head playfully. “It’s true, my husband did attack your… um… is he your boyfriend?” She faked a confused look. “But I only pulled him away after the whole debacle. You’ve no reason to despise me, so. And certainly no reason to be anything less than the Princess you are with everypony else. You have a reputation to uphold, after all.” She walked behind Twilight, turning and speaking into her ear. “Set an example for all the… lesser ponies.”

Twilight could feel the anger boiling up inside her, but she could see the argument this mare had made at the same time. She brought a hoof up over her heart, taking a deep breath, then let the breath out as she extended her foreleg out. “You’re right. I don’t have a reason to be unfriendly.” she agreed, turning around with a smile. “Thank you for reminding me of that. Now, you said you wanted a tour of Ponyville?”

“Yes. That would be delightful.” Sparks confirmed, making for the door. “I’m glad you can see reason, Princess Twilight.”

Twilight flew past the Unicorn, landing in front of her with a trot in her step. “But you were wrong about at least one thing in your argument.” She informed her.

“Oh? And what’s that?” Sparks wondered, keeping pace with Twilight.

“There’s no such thing as ‘lesser ponies’.” Twilight stated, spreading her wings regally. “I’m a Princess, but that only means I have a responsibility to everypony. They don’t owe me anything.” She held her head high as she continued. “It’s my honor and privilege to be a Princess and spread friendship across Equestria!” She turned her head to look slyly back at Sparks. “Something you could use in spades.”

Sparks let out her own conceited huff, picking up her pace. “I have friends. They’re useful to me, and I repay them with the occasional favor as well!”

“Is that what you think friendship is about? Favors?” Twilight inquired, matching Sparks’ acceleration. The two of them quickly found themselves in Ponyville proper, where Twilight veered over to head for Sugar Cube Corner.

“Well, what else would it be about? Ponies are only ever friendly when they want something from you!” the Unicorn explained, not seeing the building they were trotting into. “Like that babbling pink mare that pestered my husband! All for some insignificant date! Flitting about throwing pointless parties for ponies that don’t even matter!”

“Who doesn’t matter?” a squeaky voice called from behind the counter. Sparks jumped, turning to look at the source of the voice, where Pinkie Pie stood behind the register. “Hi, Twilight! Hi Sparks!” she greeted, waving an enthusiastic foreleg. “What brings you to Ponyville?”

“That’s what I was wondering…” Twilight mumbled, floating a toy from the nearby toy box over to the Cake twins.

“Nopony of import.” Sparks retorted, donning her typical smug expression. “You are….”

“Pinkie Pie! I’m the one you were just talking to Twilight about!” Pinkie offered a hoof in introduction. Sparks placed a reluctant hoof on the outstretched one, pulling it back just as soon as contact was made. “All I wanted to know was my friend’s birthday, you know. And it was one of the best parties ever!” She rambled on for several minutes, talking about all of the preparations she had made, and how even the Royal Sisters managed to RSVP. Sparks grew more and more bored as the party pony plentifully prattled on pertaining to particular presents and presences. She turned to leave, tugging on Twilight’s wing with her magic to attempt to get the Alicorn to follow.

“Bye, Pinkie!” Twilight said, reluctantly following the grey mare outside. She trotted ahead of Sparks, looking at the huffy mare as they went. “So, you said that friendship was all about favors… Haven’t you ever just had them over to simply enjoy each other’s company?”

“Nopony has ever wanted to ‘just enjoy my company’. They only ever wanted my help with some benign task.” Sparks replied, looking away. “So I learned how to get my own level of influence. Be the one getting the help instead of providing it for nothing. I’ll do something for those most useful to me, but when somepony isn’t worth my time, I let them know. Once they get the message, things always improve.”

Twilight’s face sank to a degree. She was fairly certain she’d never met anypony with this twisted of an idea of friendship. “And you’ve never given any thought to how you might improve their lives? Just how they can serve you?”

“I don’t understand why this confuses you so much.” Sparks retorted. “It’s how the world works! Everypony for herself! I’m just looking out for the most important pony in my life.”

Twilight groaned as quietly as she could, turning to Rarity’s boutique. The mares passed through the front door, sounding the bell as the proprietor of the establishment made her appearance.

“Welcome to the Carousel Boutique, where everything is chic, unique, and magnifique!” She greeted in her traditional way, opening her eyes. “Oh, Twilight! What a pleasure!” She stepped forward to escort her guest inside, noticing another mare with her friend. “Oh, and who might…” Slowly, but surely, she recognized the mare. “...you be…” She pulled Twilight aside, raising her muzzle to the Princess’ ear. “What is she doing in my boutique? Or in Ponyville, for that matter?!”

“I don’t know!” Twilight admitted. “She just showed up out of nowhere and wanted to be shown around!” She looked at the grey mare, who was looking around at the outfits. “I thought… maybe we could give her a taste of what real friendship is like… Maybe it would help her attitude?”

“Twilight, this is the pony that nearly broke Boltsinger’s spirit entirely…” Rarity pointed out. “Are you sure you want to extend your hoof in friendship to her?”

“She doesn’t have to be our friend.” Twilight corrected. “She just needs to open her mind.”

“You do realize that I’m right here, don’t you?” Sparks called out. “Why don’t you show me around your... “ She cleared her throat. “Quaint… little shop?”

Rarity smiled and stepped over to the mare. “Of course, dear. We have several outfits by all the best up and coming designers in Equestria! Myself included, of course. If you see anything you like, feel free to let me know!” She walked with Sparks through the shop, highlighting various outfits.

“Why do you do this… business… anyway?” Sparks inquired. “It seems frivolous.”

“I’m not quite sure what you mean, dear. I do it because I love to do it.” The fashionista stated. “I do all I can to make myself look and feel fabulous already, so why not help other ponies to do the same?”

The grey mare lifted a few outfits with her magic, looking them over. “I guess I can understand that. It does earn you a profit, after all.”

“Oh, I’m not in it for the money.” Rarity corrected. “Certainly, I have to charge customers to keep all three of my shops afloat and pay employee wages, but that's not the real purpose behind my couture.”

“Why else would you even run a business?” Sparks interjected. “If not for your own personal wealth, then what’s the point?”

“I already told you why. I simply love to make other ponies look and feel fabulous!” She continued, making a grand gesture with her foreleg. “The best part of my work is seeing how a pony lights up once they see a style that truly speaks to them! It’s why I almost never make the same thing twice, unless it’s a special order of some kind.”

Sparks squinted at the dresses. “I see…” She dropped them back on the hanger, turning away and slapping them with her tail. “No wonder all of these ‘outfits’ are so… gaudy.” She looked Rarity in the eye, her horn lighting up. “You really should consider a new line of work…”

Rarity gasped, taken aback by the suggestion as a flash of green began building up in her eyes. Her mouth hung open for a few moments as the intruding color made its way up her eyes. A purple light began to shine around her as her expression soured. She stood firm and faced the mare, the green in her eyes shattering as she stepped forward. “Well, if you’re just going to stand in my boutique and insult me and my work, then I suppose you’ve no need to remain!” She stomped over to the door, opening it with an angrily lit horn. “I’m afraid I must ask you to leave!”

Sparks looked at Rarity, her mouth hanging open as the magic in her horn died down. “I… suppose I will…” She said, making for the exit in her slow and deliberate manner. “This place is giving me a headache anyway…”

Rarity walked over to Twilight, still looking at the rude guest. “I’m sorry, Twilight, but I just can’t let my passion and generosity be insulted, so!”

“I understand, Rarity.” Twilight told her, making for the exit herself. “I’m gonna stay close and see what it is she’s after.” Rarity nodded, turning to return to her work.

The walk through Ponyville was a silent one. Sparks seemed to be suffering from a headache ever since her conversation with Rarity. Twilight had decided not to bring her guest to see Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy. Dash was likely to attack the Unicorn, while Fluttershy would most definitely be scared out of her mind. She was headed for the home of the friend she had that would be able to take everything Sparks had in store, being courteous, yet honest at the same time. She smiled to herself as they came to the top of a hill on a dirt road, a familiar red barn showing in the distance.

“This will be the last stop on your Ponyville tour, Sparks!” Twilight announced, spreading her wings with a big smile. “Sweet Apple Acres!”

Sparks huffed, trotting past the Alicorn with a bored expression and whipping Twilight on the muzzle with her tail. “A farm? Like the Pear farm back home? I’ve seen them before, you know.”

“Just trust me on this.” Twilight flapped her wings, flying ahead of the Unicorn. “You can learn a lot from the ponies that live here!”

Sparks scoffed, cantering to keep up with the flying pony towards the farm. “She sure does like to flaunt those wings of hers, doesn’t she?”

Moments later, Twilight came to a landing and led her guest the rest of the way there, where Applejack was bucking trees in the fields. She picked up a number of apple-filled buckets, her eyes widening as she noticed her friend.

“Well, howdy, Twilight!” She called out, strapping on the harness to a hauling wagon and trotting up next to the Alicorn. “How’re ya doin’ today?”

“I’m… okay.” Twilight replied. “I’ve been giving a tour of Ponyville.” She motioned to Sparks, who had the most sour face the farm pony had ever seen.

Applejack squinted at the Unicorn, then looked at Twilight with a smile. “Well, I’d be happy ta show y’all around!” She directed her attention back at the new guest. “Yer… uh… Dimmin’ Sparks, right?”

“Just ‘Sparks, please.” She corrected. “I’m guessing your name has the word ‘apple’ in it somewhere, right? This is the farm that the Pears moved all the way to Vanhoover to get away from, after all.”

“You bet yer boots I’m an Apple!” She confirmed, swinging her foreleg in front of her. “Name’s Applejack! It’s a pleasure to make yer acquaintance!”

Sparks scoffed, trotting faster towards the barn. “I suppose it is.” She looked around at the trees. “So where are your workers? Don’t you have ponies to pick all these apples for you?”

“Only hired help we got is Bolt.” The work horse informed her. “This, here, is a family operation!” She motioned to the orchard, where Big Mac and Apple Bloom were working together to buck trees. “It’s a labor of love, fer the most part. I mean, we gotta make sales to keep the farm floatin’ along like we do. But we do it all ourselves!” Twilight cleared her throat, causing a faint blush to appear on Applejack’s face. “With help from honorary family, o' course.”

“But wouldn’t it go so much faster if you hired more ponies to do the work?” Sparks inquired.

“Well, that’d take away from the care we put into it all!” Applejack continued as they reached the barn. “We pride ourselves in providin’ nuthin’ but the best gosh-darn apples in all of Equestria! An’ we do it by makin’ sure every single apple we use is the highest quality! It takes a trained eye to get it just right, an’ Granny Smith ain’t got the patience to teach anypony how ta do it!”

“Don’t you just throw away the rotten ones?” The Unicorn retorted, looking at the apples in the Earth Pony’s wagon.

“Now that’s jus’ the first step!” An elderly mare cried out from inside the barn. Granny Smith walked over to the group, eyeing the new face suspiciously. “Sumthin’ about you seems familiar…” She brought her face close to the mare’s upturned muzzle. “Y’all related to Spoiled Rich ‘r sumthin’?”

“I beg your pardon?!” Sparks asked, backing away from the older pony. “What could possibly make you think that?!”

“Sumthin’ about ya seems… all stuck up.” Granny stated. Twilight and Applejack snickered at the old mare’s remark.

Sparks reared up, taking steps back and landing with her head low. “I didn’t come to this pathetic town to be insulted!”

“Pathetic?!” Twilight repeated, her face turning sour. “What makes Ponyville so ‘pathetic’?”

Sparks glared at Twilight, stepping up to face her muzzle-to-muzzle. “All anypony in this town ever does is fool around trying to make friends! And whenever they do have something they’re passionate about, it’s either tedious, frivolous, or flat-out stupid! And for the most insane reasons! And worst of all, nopony here ever listens to anything I have to say! How does such a po-dunk town with ponies like all of you change that thing so much that my husband starts questioning me?!”

Twilight’s gaze remained unflinching as she regally flared her wings. “I’ve listened to every word you’ve said, no matter how much it pained me to do so. Your problem is that you’ve barely even heard what we’ve told you! Communication is a two-way system, and so far you’ve only questioned the way we live without even trying to hear the answers!”

“I’m not after ‘communication’!” Sparks declared, the magic of her horn flaring to life. “I want each and every one of you to do what I say and GET OUT OF MY WAY!” Her horn loosed a bright flash of green light, putting Granny Smith into a daze as auras of orange and magenta shone around Twilight and Applejack. “Brightling fell for me and married me because I’m worth it… Boltsinger backed off and left town because I’m worth it! Everypony in Vanhoover listened to me because I’m the only pony who’s ever been WORTH IT!!! Just like my mother said! Nopony else is worth it! It’s everypony for herself in this world!!!”

Twilight’s eyes went from angry to sad in that one instant. “I’m sorry you took your mother’s lessons that way…” she began. “I can’t imagine what could have happened that drove you to think like this… But none of us were ever in your way. If Brightling started to question you, then it’s because he learned from Pinkie Pie’s perspective of his little brother and wanted to find out more. Maybe if you opened your mind some more, you’d see that the way you’ve seen the world might not be the only possible way.”

Applejack nodded, helping Granny Smith from her daze. “Maybe if you listened a little more, y’all would find out there’s more t’ life than just servin’ yer own aims, and that real, honest friendship feels a whole heck of a lot better ‘n just bein’ sour all the time!”

Sparks glared into the sad eyes of the Princess in front of her, her face unintentionally softening. She backed away, looking between the two glowing mares with panicked eyes. “I just… I don’t understand you ponies… I… I need to leave!!!” She let out another bright flash from her horn, temporarily blinding everypony else. They heard the sound of galloping as their eyes re-adjusted.

Twilight squinted, trying to spot the dark-toned mare. “Well that was rude.” she pointed out, seeing her silhouette running into the distance.

“Maybe she just couldn’t take some good old-fashioned advice?” Applejack suggested, tending to Granny Smith. “Well, it’s her loss, I guess.”

“I guess so…” the Alicorn agreed, watching her disgruntled guest as she fled. “At first, she seemed completely insufferable… But once I actually heard her perspective, she seemed…”

“Completely insufferable?” the farm pony deadpanned.

“Okay, she didn’t change…” the Princess confirmed. “But I think I see why Boltsinger still has hope for his brother… If his wife can at least learn to listen to him.”

A Lesson on Wings

It was a bright summer day in the city of Manehattan, and Rarity had gathered her best friends at Rarity For You. She was making ready to unveil her latest collection, based on the Saddle-Arabian Nights. The shop had been decorated to match the theme, DJ PON-3 had set up some slick eastern beats to play during the show. Everything was going swimmingly, except for one minor detail.

Twilight and Boltsinger were absent.

Rarity raised a hoof to her muzzle, hiding a sly grin that appeared there from everypony else. She had some ideas as to why the two of them might be late, but she didn’t want to make assumptions. Most things were ready. This was their third day in the city, and Twilight’s organization skills were on full display. She was hoping that the two would arrive soon, as she wanted each of them to model particular outfits, since their theme involved a stallion who had an unlikely romance with a Princess. She was very excited to demonstrate that theme to the visiting ponies. She turned to some of the outfits on display, making some final touches as the bell sounded.

Rarity turned to face the door, seeing Twilight trotting in. “Ah! You’re here!” She trotted over to her royal friend and gave her a hug. “I take it you and Boltsinger were… distracted?”

“His wings have been getting stiff again, so I was giving him a massage to help him relax.” the Princess explained, looking back at the door. “I don’t know what keeps causing it to happen… Once it’s calmed down, he’ll be on his way too.”

Rarity snickered to herself, putting her foreleg around Twilight and guiding her to the back of the boutique. “I see… Well, I’d like to show you some of the outfits. I’ve got some adjustments to make on the one you’ll be wearing, but Bolt’s is already complete, if you want a peek.”

Twilight’s ears perked up, looking at Rarity as they walked. “Are you sure? You don’t mind if I see it ahead of time?”

“I’d like to know what you think, darling!” the fashionista informed her. “I’ve got retail versions made already, so you and Bolt will be keeping your outfits. I just want to make sure you like them.”

Twilight smiled, looking towards their destination. “Well, okay. Let’s see it!”

Rarity stepped up to a nearby curtain, pulling it aside with her foreleg. There, on a mannequin, was a slightly poofy white suit in a royal Saddle-Arabian style. It bore gold trim that extended over the shoulders, and a long white cape that extended over where the tail would be. There were shoes on the hind legs, extending out to a slight upward curl. There was a gold belt around the midsection that came to a point in the middle of the stomach, pointing towards the head. Atop the mannequin’s head was a turban-like hat with a gold band at the base. It had its own little cape flowing out around the head and extending down the neck, with a red jewel situated at the base of the front that had a large purple feather protruding out of the top. Twilight admitted to herself that it looked more like a costume to her than something somepony would wear on a daily basis, but she was also unfamiliar with how things were in Saddle-Arabia.

“Can’t you just imagine Boltsinger in this?” Rarity asked, sparking the Princess’ imagination. In place of the mannequin, she saw Boltsinger, wearing the outfit. “Why, he would look so dashing and princely. The perfect gentlecolt to a swooning Princess!” The image in Twilight’s mind looked at her intently, spreading his wings and flaring his cape as he walked towards her, a charming smile on his muzzle and looking at her through half-lidded eyes, as if to suggest something. Twilight’s heart began to race, the color of her cheeks difinitively changing as she felt some tension in her wings. She put on a relaxed face as she imagined her special somepony in the situation, her wings standing straight up as Rarity looked at her with a mild blush. She cleared her throat, snapping Twilight out of her trance. “Well… Clearly you can imagine it quite well.” Twilight shook her head, looking at Rarity with a deep red lining her muzzle.

“What? How can you tell?” the embarrassed Alicorn wondered. “I was just thinking about it… It’s not like you can tell what’s on my mind just by looking at me.”

“Um… Twilight?” the fashionista began, approaching the Princess. “How much do you know about wings?”

Twilight let out a cocky scoff, going into everything she knew about the mechanics of wings and how they attribute to the way that Pegasi and Alicorns fly around, talking at length about the advanced mathematics behind it.

“No no no, not that.” the Unicorn corrected. “Have you ever taken note of how one’s wings might respond to certain… um… What’s the best word… Stimuli?”

Twilight shook her head vehemently. “No. I never thought it was all that important. My wings were a little hard to control when I first got them, but I always thought that they worked like any other limb. It’s not like they do things when we don’t want them to… Well, besides Boltsinger’s problem.”

Rarity sighed as she brought her hoof up to her face, stepping over to Twilight and flicking her wing with her foreleg. Twilight winced, looking back at her outstretched appendages from the impact. “Darling, you might need to study more on how wings work. You see, when a winged pony like you or Rainbow Dash have… certain thoughts or emotions… your wings respond accordingly.” She started rubbing Twilight’s back, causing the lilac pony’s wings to loosen up. “Have you ever noticed that whenever Rainbow is intending to… fight somepony… her wings are always flared out beside her?”

“Now that you mention it, yes.” Twilight confirmed, thinking back on the events at the Gala the previous year. “Brightling’s wings were like that when we saw him, too.”

“Well, that’s because their wings can be quite intimidating if used in such a way.” Rarity continued. “And if certain… thoughts or images… creep into their minds, their wings tend to… Well, you just experienced that reaction.”

Twilight smiled sheepishly, moving her wings to get the motion back. “How do you know so much about wings when you don’t even have them?”

Rarity laughed confidently, raising a hoof to her muzzle to strike a pose as she looked at her friend. “Oh, Twilight! When your sheer fabulousness has attracted as many suitors as mine has, the signs of when a Pegasus is into you become dreadfully obvious!” She patted her friend on the back, walking past into the main room of the shop as the bell rang anew.

“Sorry I’m late!” Boltsinger called, raising a wing to the entering Unicorn. “I had some… issues to take care of.”

Rarity giggled, beckoning the stallion over. “I’m certain you did. Twilight told me all about it.”

Boltsinger scratched his mane with his wing as he loosed a sheepish grin. “You didn’t… tell everypony else about that kind of thing, right?”

Rarity leaned in close, talking quietly. “The only pony who wasn’t aware of what it means was Twilight herself. And nopony blames you for your… responses.” She patted him on the back, pushing him towards the back room. “Now, we open soon! You need to get ready!” As he trotted on, she matched his pace. “Now, the plan is for you to actually model two outfits. One based on Alkham Fahm, and the other on Eazri Almas. Starlight is already back there and ready to help with the quick-change. Are you used to teleportation?”

Boltsinger’s face fell flat, looking at Rarity with a cocked eyebrow. “I live with Twilight. I’m used to teleporting.”

Rarity nodded, looking ahead. “Yes, I suppose that was a silly question, wasn’t it?” She situated him next to a changing curtain, floating a few garments over to him. “First, you’ll be wearing these. Nothing too complicated. This would be your ‘street rat’ attire.” She floated the curtain between them, placing the clothes on a table next to him. “I’m going to go and make the finishing touches on Twilight’s outfit. Remember, when you’re wearing this outfit, you need to be cocky, yet at the same time, humble. Daring, yet caring. Once your outfit has changed, all of that humility needs to vanish, and you need to be the epitome of ego!”

“Okay… So, I need to be like Rainbow?” he wondered, sliding into one of the garments.

Rarity stopped her sewing a moment, looking back with a laugh. “I never thought of it that way, but… Yes. Only more gallant!” The two of them laughed, continuing about their business.

Boltsinger stepped out from behind the changing curtain wearing poofy white pants, a purple vest, and a tiny red fez along with his usual pendant. He brought his wings forward, flexing the feathers at the ends. “I still don’t feel like I’m entirely in character, considering the character is something I’m quite literally not.”

“Oh, pish-posh! You needn’t worry over such minor details!” Rarity exclaimed, putting the other outfit aside and stepping over to the stallion. “You just need to act the part! You already look it, all rugged and mischievous in your little hat and vest!”

Boltsinger sighed, sitting on a nearby stool. “So, I guess you can just let me know when I go on. Where’s Twilight, anyway?”

“Oh, I’ve finished her outfit. Miss Pommel is helping her into it now.” Rarity stated, heading for the door. “You’ll see her when the showing begins!”

Boltsinger sat in the back room in what he could only think of as a ‘costume’, drumming on his knees as he heard Rarity explaining the various outfits in the Saddle-Arabian collection. There were a number of times in which the visitors would applaud.

“And now, I present to you, the finale of this presentation!” Rarity’s muffled voice announced, making the stallion’s ears perk up in her direction. “The initial inspiration for this line came from a good friend of mine introducing me to the stories you’ve been exposed to through this line. My favorite story, and his, is the story of Alkham Fahm, a young pony living on the streets…” From the entrance to the room, Starlight poked in her head, looking at Boltsinger. She lit up her horn with a nod as the stallion stood up, striking a cocky pose as a bright blue flash shone before him, appearing in front of several high-class ponies while a remix of traditional Saddle-Arabian music played. The spotlight shone on the stallion as he strutted across the stage. “He was always such a lovable street rat, but everything changed for him when he first saw the beautiful Princess Alyasimin, dressed in street clothes and trying to escape her boring royal lifestyle!” From stage right, a cloaked pony stepped onstage, looking around. She lowered her hood, revealing Twilight wearing an elaborate golden circlet that bore a dark red ruby in the middle of her forehead and just under her horn. Her mane was wavier than normal, the hair from the back of her head brought up in a loose but flattering bun. She ran across the stage, looking panicked as Boltsinger looked on at her, jaw hung open. Whispers were heard amongst the crowd about the identity of the Princess. “Upon his revelation of her identity, he had nearly given up hope!” The stallion hung his head and walked stage right, his ears drooping. “But fate had other plans for this rough and tumble thief! He was lured into a magical cave, where a magical artifact released a spirit that granted him three wishes!” What looked like an old fashioned oil lamp was teleported onstage, and Boltsinger dove at it, rubbing it gently. A magical aura lit up around it, extending over the Pegasus. “And the witty thief was no fool! He knew that if he wanted to impress the lovely mare, he would need to be on equal footing! So his first wish…” The bright blue flash shined around Boltsinger again, feeling his outfit suddenly disappear, replaced in that instant by the fancy white outfit he had helped Rarity to work on a while back. “... was to become a dashing Prince! He donned the name Eazri Almas, and paraded his way down the road to the palace!” Boltsinger put on his most charming grin, strutting across the stage as hoofsteps were heard from the end he approached. “This outfit is the crown jewel of my stallion collection in this new line! I call it the Royal Diamond!” Boltsinger stopped center stage, angling his head to look as appealing as possible, raising his eyebrows like he was making a sly offer. And coiling his tail in front of his hind legs. The crowd applauded once more, stomping their hooves as one of the reporters stepped forward.

“Because it symbolizes the polishing and pressing of the rough thief into the diamond he is on the inside! Brilliant!” The reporting stallion announced, looking as excited as Rarity did.

“Exactly! But the show’s not over yet!” Rarity declared, motioning stage left. “For you see, through all of the magic, the conflict, and the drama that came with entering the lives of royalty, the roguish stallion’s identity was revealed to the Princess!” Starlight’s magic flashed once more, Boltsinger having been returned to the simple garb he entered in. “But that didn’t stop their love from coming to life! The Princess Alyasimin opened up her heart to him, and they found their way!” The hoofsteps stopped in front of Boltsinger, Twilight appearing onstage, tossing aside the cloak to reveal a sparkling red outfit that featured loose-fitting pants that led to the same kind of pointed and curled shoes Boltsinger had worn, elaborate rows of fabric connecting the pants to a flattering top that puffed out at the shoulders, but left her forelegs bare. She had a bright gold and ruby-crested belt along with bracelets of a similar design fitted just above the hooves on her forelegs. Over her shoulders, she wore a translucent red shawl that flowed over her forelegs and back. She looked at Boltsinger alluringly, giving a coy smile through half-lidded eyes, intensely focused on him. Boltsinger felt his wings begin to tense up, but strained himself to keep them down. “This outfit, I feel, captures the exotic majesty of a Saddle-Arabian Princess, how she blooms even in the middle of the desert! I call it, the Desert Flower!” Twilight looked at the crowd, waving one of her hooves in the traditional royal wave. Rarity turned to the stomping ponies in the crowd before her, enamored with the praise that came from various sources. “And with that, our love story comes to a close!” She announced, the curtain behind her closing. “If you’d like to learn more about these fabulous tales, check your local bookstore!”

Boltsinger and Twilight stood behind the curtain, hearing the many ponies that showed up crowd around Rarity to make orders. The stallion breathed a heavy sigh, looking at his favorite mare again. As the vision of her entered his view, his wings demanded that he give up the fight, to which he immediately acquiesced. The appendages shot straight up, sending him slightly airborne with the force. Twilight looked at her special somepony’s response, her face turning almost as red as her outfit as she giggled.

“You know… I know what that response means, now.” she informed him, stepping closer. “I know that a massage will only do so much to calm it down.”

Boltsinger blushed profusely, sitting on the stage and averting his eyes. “Well, I can think of something we can do…”

Twilight blinked, stepping closer still with a relaxed face. “And what would that be?”

“Well…” he started, placing his muzzle next to her ear. He began whispering various ideas, diminishing the Alicorn’s blush as her eyes grew wide.

“Really? You want to do that?” She asked as he brought his head back to look her in the eye. She laughed out loud, pulling him into an embrace. “And here I thought you wanted to do something completely different!” She planted a kiss on his lips, pulling away slowly. “How about we make ourselves a bit more comfortable before we begin, okay?”

Boltsinger nodded, standing up again and making for the back of the store. After quickly slipping out of the simple outfit he was in, he found his way to the front of the store, many of the patron ponies having left. He waited eagerly, imagining what he was about to do with the mare of his dreams. His goofy grin crept its way back onto his muzzle as he looked outside, more hoofsteps sounding behind him.

“Bolt, your performance was spectacular!” Rarity declared, raising an excited foreleg. “I don’t think I’ve ever had so many stallions attempt to order from one of my stores before!”

“That’s nice…” the stallion replied, still looking out the door with dreamy eyes.

Rarity giggled, stepping closer. “From the looks of it, I take it you liked Twilight’s outfit?” Boltsinger nodded wordlessly. “And now I expect the two of you have… plans?”

“Eeyup.” he said, as if channeling Big Macintosh.

Rarity stifled a laugh, stepping away. “Well, then, I won’t keep you.” She turned to go to the back of the shop. “You two have a good time! I’ve got orders to fill!”

After a while longer, Twilight trotted up next to her favorite stallion. “Are you ready?” She asked, magically opening the door in front of them.

“Absolutely.” He answered, stepping out the door as the two took to the air.

Hours later, as night had begun to fall, the door to an ancient history museum opened up, Twilight and Boltsinger walking out with satisfied grins on their faces. Bags hung from Boltsinger’s wings, with more floating in the air above them thanks to Twilight’s horn. They turned down the street, headed for their hotel as the stallion turned to look at the mare.

“I can’t believe you’re actually fluent in Old Ponish!” Boltsinger stated, looking just a little dumbfounded. “I know you’re brilliant, but that’s just astounding! Where do you put all that knowledge?”

“I’ve actually got all of my knowledge mentally compartmentalized, ready for access in at least a quarter of a second in case I need some random bits of information!” she told him. Boltsinger burst into hysterics, small tears threatening to form at the corners of his eyes. Twilight looked at his laughter and tilted her head. “I… wasn’t joking.”

The stallion’s eyes shot open as his head rose up. “Wait, what?” He looked at her with a sense of disbelief. “Wow… You’re way more organized than I thought!” He brought a hoof up to his muzzle. “The mechanics of it seem pretty complicated, even if it is in your mind… I don’t think I’d be able to do something like that.” He looked into her eyes as they stopped at the street corner. “You really are amazing!”

Twilight looked dreamily into Boltsinger’s eyes, seeing her reflection in them as clear as day. After a long pause, she took a breath. “Thank you…” The two started walking again as the light changed. “You know, you’re pretty amazing, yourself.”

Boltsinger blew a playful raspberry at the idea. “Meh, I don’t do much. I just help where I’m needed.”

“And that always works out better for everypony.” She stated, pulling him close with her wing. “Don’t sell yourself so short.” She went into a trot, causing her special somepony to follow suit. “Now, let’s get back to the hotel and do the last thing on my schedule!”

“Last thing?” Boltsinger repeated, cocking an eyebrow. “What’s the last thing?”

Twilight giggled and whispered into his ear. Hearing her plans, his eyes grew wide, and his wings threatened to stand up again while his mouth took on an ‘o’ shape. “You sure about this?” he asked her.

Twilight gave a firm nod. “Definitely.”

“Well, who am I to argue with a Princess?” He said, his face turning red as he went into a canter. “Let’s go do this thing!”

Twilight smiled warmly, pointing her horn at the stallion and adding him to the myriad of levitating wonders. “All right, lover-bolt, calm down! I have a faster way!” She lowered him to her side, closing her eyes in concentration as a familiar magenta flash came to life, the ponies and their bags vanishing from sight.

Author's Note

Okay, I think I'm done with Aladdin references. Once again, the new name is an Arabic word. This time "Alyasimin" is the Arabic word for "Jasmine". Needless to say, relationships may be... moving forward... some time in the future.

Any Bright Ideas?

Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle sat in the clubhouse for the Cutie Mark Crusaders, another client having her picture taken. They had just finished for the day, and were getting ready to head out.

“Another satisfied client!” Scootaloo announced, her head held high. “This feeling never gets old!”

“You said it, Scoot!” Apple Bloom agreed, opening the door. “I can’t wait to find out who we can help next!” She turned to Sweetie Belle, a hopeful look in her eye. “Any more cases today?”

Sweetie Belle floated a nearby clipboard in front of her, looking it over. “Not that I can see.” A strange noise began repeating itself in the fillies’ ears as the Unicorn put the clipboard aside. She looked at the flanks of her best friends, seeing their Cutie Marks light up with smaller versions of the same marks appearing around them and spreading outward. “But… maaaaaybe I hadn’t seen everything yet…”

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo gawked at the sight in disbelief. “Oh my gosh!” Scootaloo shouted, fluttering her wings and jumping into the air. “We’ve been called by the map!!!” The three of them bounced around excitedly.

“We got called by the ma-ap~” They repeated as they danced in circles. Before long, images of their Cutie Marks flew off of them, through the door.

“Wait a sec, Crusaders!” Apple Bloom started, stopping their celebration. “Maybe we should go see where it wants us to go before we celebrate!” Her friends nodded, turning to the door as the three of them galloped out as fast as they could.

Twilight and Boltsinger stared at the map, seeing a tri-colored shield with the individual symbols of the Cutie Mark Crusaders circling it hovering over a town they did not expect to send anypony, let alone fillies. Twilight hovered above the location, furrowing her brow and wondering if the map was on the fritz again. Boltsinger simply looked at the location, slack-jawed and wide-eyed.

“TWILIGHT!” a distinct drawl came from the foyer. “Didja see?!” Applejack ran into the room, the Cutie Mark Crusaders following behind her. “My sister an’ ‘er friends have been called by the map!”

Twilight landed by the table, looking back at her approaching friend as she skidded to a stop. “I see it, but I’m not sure how much I believe it.”

“What’s to believe?” Apple Bloom asked, putting her forelegs on the map. “Where’s it sendin’ us, anyway?”

Boltsinger used a foreleg to force his mouth shut as his eyes returned to normal. “There.” He said, pointing his wing at the town the marks hovered over.

Applejack followed the lead of the stallion’s wing, her jaw dropping as her eyes fell on the town in question. “Vanhoover?” She started, her head rearing back. “Why in Equestria would the map send three little fillies to the one town where we know somepony is likely ta try an’ attack them?”

“Wait, I gotta stop you there.” Boltsinger interjected. “I don’t think those three will be in any danger.”

“And why d’ya say that?” Applejack wondered, looking sternly at the stallion. “You’re the one that awful pony went ‘n attacked!”

“Yeah, and I’m somepony he really hates and honestly wants to pummel with in an inch of his life.” he explained, standing up and motioning to the CMC’s. “They are fillies, and when he’s not enraged or provoked, I remember Brightling being a reasonable pony. He’s not gonna go as far as to attack younger ponies. Especially ones that he doesn’t know.”

Applejack raised a hoof to argue, but it fell limp. “I… see your point.” She turned to face the smaller ponies. “And y’all do have a mission there… I jus’ don’t know… I don’t want y’all to go so far away all by yerselves!”

“Yer not gonna come with us, are you?” Apple Bloom asked, pouting.

“Now, that jus’ wouldn’t feel right.” the orange mare continued. “It’d feel like I was steppin’ all over yer hooves if I went along. How ‘bout we head back to Sweet Apple Acres and get y’all ready for yer trip? We can figure the rest out, there.”

“We really should get ready.” Scootaloo added.

“And it’s not like having an older pony with us would be a bad thing.” Sweetie Belle concluded.

“I guess yer right…” Apple Bloom admitted, hanging her head as she turned towards the foyer.

As the fillies left the room, Applejack turned to Boltsinger. “Bolt, would you be willin’ to go with ‘em for this?”

“Any other place in Equestria, and you’d get a resounding ‘yes’ outta me.” he informed her. “But… I can’t go back there.”

“Why not?” Applejack inquired. “It’s yer hometown, after all!”

“What part of getting violently run out of town would make me ever want to go back there?” he deadpanned, turning his attention towards the town on the map. “Besides, I’m pretty sure I’d go crazy if I were anywhere near Sparks.”

“Yeah, I suppose you got a point, there.” Applejack admitted. “All right, I’ll get somepony else to go along with ‘em.”

An hour later, the Cutie Mark Crusaders met up at the train station, Applejack trailing behind.

“Okay, girls, y’all ready to go?” The older pony asked.

“If we were any more ready, we’d be fit for makin’ cider!” Apple Bloom announced. She and her friends stood in the center of the platform, saddlebags stuffed and ready to go.

“Ready and waiting!” Scootaloo added.

“Just waiting for whoever you got to come with us.” Sweetie Belle concluded. “Who’d you get?”

“Oh, he’ll be along. You sure yer ready fer this?” Applejack repeated. “Got all the info ya could get on the town?”

“We made sure to talk with Grand Pear-pear ‘bout it!” The yellow filly stated. “He’s the best expert on Vanhoover you can get in Ponyville!”

Applejack smirked, leaning in closer. “How ‘bout toothbrushes?” The Crusaders each pulled out a toothbrush. “Snacks for the trip?” They each pulled out a bag of cinnamon nuts. “What about--”

Apple Bloom put her hoof on her sister’s muzzle. “Applejack, trust me! We’ve got this!” She turned to her fellow Crusaders. “If the map called us somewhere, then there’s a good chance it’s got sumthin’ to do with somepony’s Cutie Mark, and that’s sumthin’ we know all about! The map hasn’t made a wrong choice yet, has it?”

“Well… I suppose… Yer right.” the mare admitted. “But I still wanna make sure y’all’re safe. So I asked Big Mac if he’d go along with ya and he said--”

“Eeyup!” a deep voice said from behind the freckled mare. Big Mac, saddlebag and all, stepped beside his sister, looking at the fillies.

“He’s promised that ‘e won’t get in the way o’ yer mission, no matter what it is.” she explained. “Y’all’re gonna have free reign to do whatcha need, ya just need to make sure y’don’t do anything too dangerous, got it?”

Big Mac walked up beside the fillies, facing his sister as they all let out a resounding “Eeyup!” They boarded the train, talking amongst themselves.

“Y’all be careful, now…” Applejack said once more, holding her hat over her heart.

The whistle blew at the Vanhoover train station. A red Earth Pony stallion disembarked, followed shortly after by three young fillies all with packed saddlebags.

“Well, we’re in Vanhoover.” Scootaloo started, looking at the town. “What now?”

Apple Bloom breathed a depressed sigh, her gaze fixed on the floor. “I dunno…”

Sweetie Belle stepped beside her friend, leaning in close. “What’s wrong?”

Apple Bloom lifted her head up, pointing a foreleg at the large stallion in front of them. “That.” She stated, a bit of a scowl on her face. “We finally get called by the map fer our very first Cutie Mark Crusaders friendship mission, and we gotta have a chaperone! Nopony else who was called by the map ever needed an escort!”

“That’s because everypony else that was called by the map was a full-grown pony.” Scootaloo pointed out. “And Spike, but his issue was already in Ponyville.”

“I guess you’ve got a point…” Apple Bloom admitted, looking at her brother as he made his way off of the platform. “At least ‘e promised not to get in the way of our first friendship mission.”

“So, how do these ‘friendship missions’ usually go?” Scootaloo inquired, looking out at the town.

“Applejack always said that they just kept wanderin’ around ‘till the problem just showed up!” Apple Bloom answered. “Any place you wanna go ‘round here?”

“What about the Pear farm?” Sweetie Belle suggested, pointing at an Earth Pony pulling a wagon full of the fruit. “I’m sure there might be somepony there who isn’t satisfied with their Cutie Mark, and that’s driving them apart from their friends!”

“Or the school!” Scootaloo added, pointing to a group of frolicking foals. “Maybe somepony is getting bullied by their classmates for having a ‘weird’ Cutie Mark, and they need our help to get the bullies to cut it out!”

Apple Bloom nodded, looking at the plethora of ponies walking about. Her eyes scanned the Cutie Marks of every pleasantly passing pony, seeing nothing really amiss. “Both of those suggestions are good. What do you say we split up?”

Big Mac cleared his throat. “Nnope!” He stepped ahead of the fillies, looking around like a watchdog.

“I take it you don’t want us splittin’ up so that you can keep a closer eye on us?” Apple Bloom queried.

Big Mac nodded. “Eeyup.”

Apple Bloom’s face sank a bit. “All right. Let’s start at the Pear farm, then!” She turned to her fellow Crusaders, the three of them engaging in a high-hoof and running over to the pony with the sales wagon. He pointed them down the road, where the three fillies cantered off, much to the chagrin of the lumbering stallion behind them.

They came to a large farm lined with lush, fruiting pear trees. There was a rounded green barn in the center with what seemed to be a processing plant off to the side. It was letting out steam as the machines inside clinked and clanked, with a pony pulling a wagon full of jars coming out the back as they approached. His coat was roughly the same shade of orange as Big Mac’s mane, with a lime green mane and tail in a scruffy, unkempt style, with three pears in a swirl pattern as a Cutie Mark. He strained as he pulled the wagon behind him, coming up onto the fillies.

“Well, hello little fillies!” He greeted, stopping and smiling at them. “I wish I could stay and give you a proper welcome, but these jars won’t take themselves to the market!” He began moving again, his legs shaking with every step. “Ponies have really been liking our pear jam lately. I think maybe Grand Pear has been talking it up a little too much once he left!”

Apple Bloom looked curiously at the pony. He wasn’t quite the same size as her brother, yet he had so much weight behind him. “That looks heavy. You want some help gettin’ that to town?” She asked.

“I’d love some help, but I don’t think you fillies would be able to carry all these.” he told her, taking another pained step. “The jars were heavy enough already, but with all the jam, it gets a whole lot worse!”

“Well, we’re here with a pretty strong pony.” Scootaloo pointed out, motioning to the approaching Big Macintosh. “What if we asked him to help?”

“If he can carry all this, then be my guest!” he stated, stopping to look at the strapping stallion. “The name’s Sweet Pear.” He blushed slightly as he said the name. “I know it’s not exactly the most flattering name for a stallion, but I like it!”

“Pleasure to meet you, Sweet Pear! I’m Apple Bloom!” the Earth Pony filly replied, offering a greeting hoof. “And this here’s Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo!” She pointed over at her approaching brother, who was listening to Sweetie Belle at the time. “And that, there’s Big Macintosh!”

“Apples, huh?” Sweet Pear noted, looking at the Cutie Marks of the two Earth Ponies. “Never thought I’d see any of your kin around here, what with that silly old feud our families used to have. What brings you to Vanhoover?”

“My friends and I are here on official friendship business!” Apple Bloom announced. “Big Mac is here to make sure we have an escort. Right, Big Mac?”

The red stallion nodded proudly. “Eeyup!” He moved over to the wagon Sweet Pear was pulling, lifting up the front end. Sweet Pear quickly undid the harness, falling to the ground as the stallion who lived up to his title put it on, effortlessly walking despite the heavy load.

“There’s a reason they call him ‘Big’ Mac.” Scootaloo mentioned, leaning close to Sweet Pear.

“Anyway, we were brought here ‘cause there’s supposed to be a Cutie Mark-related friendship problem here in Vanhoover!” Apple Bloom continued. “Y’all got any problems comin’ from Cutie Marks that’re messin’ with friendships in town?”

Sweet Pear brought a hoof to his muzzle, thinking hard on the filly’s question. “Only thing I can think of involving a Cutie Mark problem is a Pegasus named Brightling.” he told her. “Used to be this big, bright light bulb. Now it’s all shattered.” He looked in the direction of the main town. “Sure wish he was back to the way he used to be. Back before he stopped sharing those bright ideas with everypony. Made all of our lives better back then.”

“Brightling?” Sweetie Belle repeated. “We’ve heard of him! About when did he change?”

“Wasn’t too long after he and Sparks got together for real. Suddenly started keeping to himself instead of helping out.” he continued, looking sad as he went on. “Said there wasn’t anything in it for him anymore, so he was only gonna help ponies who paid up-front. Those who did didn’t always get ideas that were all that helpful.”

“You mean he’s not even trying to use his own talent?” Scootaloo queried. “No wonder his Cutie Mark is broken.” She looked at the overstuffed wagon, then back at Sweet Pear. “So, why did you fill up that one cart so much? Wouldn’t it be easier to use more than one?”

“We’ve been getting so many orders that this one is just a third of what we send out.” He stated, looking at the jarring number of jars. “But this is our only wagon right now. And everypony’s so busy with farm maintenance there’s nopony to fix the broken ones. We’re short-hooved, and run ragged. Practically no organization left ever since Grand Pear moved away.”

“Sounds like you need somepony with ideas.” Sweetie Belle suggested, turning to Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. “So, I think our mission here is obvious. We need to help Brightling!”

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo let out a simultaneous “YEAH!”, the three of them doing another high-hoof.

Big Mac came to a stop, looking at the fillies with a worried face. Sweet Pear emptied the wagon, putting crate after crate next to the store they had stopped at as the red stallion trotted over to the girls.

“Uh… girls?” Mac began, the fillies looking his way. “Are you sure you wanna track down that pony?”

“He’s got a Cutie Mark problem, doesn’t he?” Scootaloo suggested.

“Eeyup.” Big Mac confirmed.

“And that Cutie Mark problem is messing with his life, and the lives of everypony else, right?” Sweetie Belle added.

“Uh… Eeyup.” the stallion replied, his face beginning to sink.

“Well, then, we gotta go help ‘im!” Apple Bloom concluded. “It’s our job as Crusaders! Are you with us, big brother?”

The farm stallion’s face rose, a proud smile covering his muzzle. He lunged forward and picked up Apple Bloom in a big hug, tears of pride welling up. “Eeyup!” He squeezed tightly, a squeaking noise seeming to come from Apple Bloom as she struggled to get out.

Walking down the streets of Vanhoover was a faded yellow Pegasus with a brown mane and tail and a Cutie Mark of a shattered light bulb. He was on his way home from his job as a cashier at the local grocery store. He was moving up in the ladder of management there, but he was growing bored with it rather quickly. Outside the store, he saw some ponies he’d never seen before. Three fillies with a larger Earth Pony stallion. They seemed to have a particular interest in him as he left. The fillies especially began to creep him out as they moved to follow him.

“Uh… Pardon me, sir…” the Earth Pony of the girls began. “Yer name wouldn’t happen to be Brightling, would it?”

“That’d be me.” he answered. “Who’s asking?”

“Well, my name’s Apple Bloom.” she said, motioning to herself.

The Pegasus stepped up next to her. “And my name is Scootaloo!” She fluttered her wings as she approached.

“And I’m Sweetie Belle!” the Unicorn squeaked, coming up on the other side of Apple Bloom. “And together, we are…”

“THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!” The cried out together. Brightling took a step back, covering his ears with his wings as he gritted his teeth.

As the fillies finished their introduction, Apple Bloom gestured back to the stallion with them. “And this is my brother, Big Macintosh. He’s here as our ‘escort’.”

“Eeyup!” he confirmed, standing over them.

Brightling brought a wing to his chin. “Apple Bloom? Big Macintosh?” he repeated, looking between the siblings. “Like Sweet Apple Acres Apples?” The Apple filly nodded. The older Pegasus facehoofed, letting out a groan. “Ugh… So that means you four are from…”

“Ponyville!!!” the Crusaders finished, causing the yellow stallion to groan further.

“So it’s more of his friends... “ He looked at them dejectedly. “What do you want this time?”

“We heard you’ve got a problem with your Cutie Mark.” Sweetie Bell informed him.

“I don’t have a problem with my Cutie Mark.” Brightling retorted. “What would make you think I have a problem with it?’

“Have you looked at it lately?” Scootaloo started, pointing at the older pony’s flank. “Everypony tells us it’s broken, and I can see what they’re saying pretty easily.”

Brightling used his wing and his tail to cover the mark. “Yeah, so? It changed when my life changed. When I learned how much I can gain with my talents.” He walked past the visiting ponies. “It’s not something I should just give out, after all.”

“Are you sure that’s true, though?” Apple Bloom wondered, trotting next to him. “‘Cause you don’t look any happier for it.”

“What would you have me do? Go out and just help everypony that even has the smallest problem like my ‘brother’ does?” He snapped, glaring at the filly. “Just get whisked away to random places because somepony somewhere is too stupid to think for themselves?” He exhaled sharply, the air visible as it exited his nostrils. His eyes turned green as he looked ahead. “My good-for-nothing brother may be the kind of bleeding heart fool that would do that kind of thing, but I know where m--”

Brightling’s mouth was forced shut, a big red foreleg ending in a yellow hoof covering it. “Nnope.” Big Mac said, looking the Pegasus in the eye.

Brightling moved the offending foreleg aside, stepping closer. “What do you mean, ‘nope’?” he asked, glaring at the significantly larger pony. “You got a problem with how I talk about my own family?”

“Eeyup.” Mac affirmed, stomping his foreleg.

Brightling’s glare intensified. “And why is any of it your business? Is he actually a friend of yours?”

Big Mac let out a growling, angry “Eeyup.” as he loomed over the provoked Pegasus.

“Well, you can go back to Ponyville and pal around with him for all I care.” Brightling stated. “He’s my brother, and I’ll say whatever the heck I want about him.” He walked past the red stallion, bumping into him as hard as he could as he went.

“Just like you’ll try ‘n send ‘im to the hospital the moment ya see ‘im?” Big Mac suggested, looking back at him. “Callin’ him a ‘monster’? Sayin’ it’s all his fault that yer parents’re gone? Not very ‘brotherly’ if’n ya ask me.” He turned to face Brightling, standing firm. “What kinda brother lets himself sink s’ dang low?”

Brightling stopped cold, turning to look angrily at the suddenly talkative pony, his eyes glowing green as he seethed. “And what could you possibly know about being a good brother, huh?! You didn’t grow up with him! Everypony doting on him! Everypony giving him all the slack in the world because ‘he’s not a strong flyer yet’ and making me go up to the most terrifying place in the world, over and over and over again! I just wanted to stay on the ground with the mare that I care about, and I did everything I could to make that happen!”

Big Mac reached over to his little sister, giving her a hug as he took a breath. “I don’t know what livin’ with ‘im was like fer myself. Yer right about that. But I know a lot about bein’ a big brother. Bein’ a sibling in general.” He looked fondly at Apple Bloom. “I know that as the big brother, I got a responsibility to be there for my sisters whenever they need me. And, yeah, it ain’t always easy. We don’t always get along perfect. But ya gotta look at yer siblin’s and try ta see the best in ‘em, even if they can’t.” He released his sister from his grip, stepping closer to Brightling. “I’m just a work horse, always on the farm, but I always do everythin’ I can fer both o’ my sisters, no matter where their destinies take ‘em.” Brightling stomped up to Big Mac, breathing heavily with gritted teeth. “And from what AJ told me about yer history with Bolt, he tried to do everythin’ he could fer you way back when.” the yellow Pegasus let out a yell, rearing up and lashing out with a foreleg in an attempt to hit Big Mac. “And even now, he still hasn’t given up hope that you can be a better pony.” Brightling righted himself with his wings as he swung, kicking up a cloud of dust.

“Big Mac, no!” Apple Bloom cried, jumping towards her brother. The dust cleared, and Big Mac was unmoving, still standing firm and looking straight at Brightling. The Pegasus in question had stopped his motion, his mouth hanging open slightly as the green in his eyes began to flicker.

Brightling fell back to all fours, looking up at his fellow older sibling with confused eyes. “But what if I can’t be a better pony?” He asked. “Where do I even start?”

“You start by listenin’ to us!” Apple Bloom told him, stepping between the two stallions. “Even if all ya get is a push, as long as yer goin’ in the right direction, you can definitely be a better pony!”

“Here, here!” Scootaloo cheered, raising a hoof with Sweetie Belle.

Brightling looked at the fillies, letting his hindquarters fall to the ground, his green eyes turning back to their natural color. “Okay, then, if I’ve really got a Cutie Mark problem, as you insist, then how do I fix it?”

“We heard from Sweet Pear that you used to help a lot of ponies with your ideas on how to streamline things.” Scootaloo started. “And it looks like they could really use that at the farm.”

“How much would they be willing to pay?” he inquired.

“Don’t think about it like that!” Apple Bloom snapped, clapping her forelegs in front of his face. “You got yer Cutie Mark for helpin’ ponies with your ‘bright ideas’. Not fer makin’ money offa them!”

“Sure, you can use your talents to make a profit. There’s nothing wrong with that!” Sweetie Belle advised. “But the thing that makes your mark, that defines you, isn’t about what you can make money with. It’s about what feels right!”

“The three of us used to freak out over what our Cutie Marks would be!” Scootaloo began, pointing at her own flank. “We would spend all of our time just trying things in the hopes that they would show up! But it wasn’t until we stopped and started helping other ponies with their problems, letting them know what their Cutie Marks really represented, that we found out our destiny!”

Brightling looked at the flanks of the fillies, seeing Cutie Marks that were remarkably similar to one another. “So you just keep on doing that, even though it doesn’t net you a single bit?”

“Yup!” Apple Bloom confirmed. “And the way I see it, your talent and Sparks’ talent can actually do a lotta good in Equestria!”

Everypony in the gathering looked at Apple Bloom questioningly. “What are you talking about?” Scootaloo asked after a few silent moments.

“Well, look at it this way…” the yellow filly started. “Brightling, you got this talent for new ideas, tryin’ to make things better for everypony, right?” Brightling reluctantly nodded. “And then Sparks has a knack fer spreadin’ ideas around! You could come up with sumthin’ real good, and then she can help everypony to see how it can help! Providin’ y’ don’t do sumthin’ sinister with that talent.”

Big Mac, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo let out a laugh at the last comment, Brightling taking a wing and scratching the back of his head with it. “I don’t know if I can convince Sparks to do something like that…”

“Maybe don’t try to go right for that goal just yet.” Sweetie Belle suggested. “Start small. Help the ponies around here when you can! You don’t have to quit your job or anything. You just need to go out there and be there for everypony else!”

“Like, maybe help the farm to get those jam deliveries done a little bit faster?” Scootaloo said, nudging the older Pegasus with her elbow. “They could use some organization!”

Brightling looked over at the wagon by the store, seeing Sweet Pear moving yet another crate full of jam into the store, only half-way done with the load. “They really could, couldn’t they?”

“Eeyup!” Big Mac affirmed, nodding his head as he began to walk over to the green-maned pony. He went to the back of the wagon and picked up three crates of jam, carrying them into the store with ease.

Brightling looked between the wagon and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, the gears turning in his head. After several moments, and a sore neck, he nodded. “Okay. You’ve convinced me.” He got back up on all fours. “It’s time I became a better pony!” He flared his wings, standing proud. “Thanks, little fillies.” He walked over to Sweet Pear, taking a crate of jam and striking up a conversation with him.

Once the wagon was finally empty, Big Mac returned to the fillies, taking a look at their flanks to see them glowing with smaller versions of them flying into them with a small alarm-like sound. “Uh, Apple Bloom?”

The filly in question looked at her flank, seeing the telltale sign of a job well done as the sun began to set. “We did it? But all we did was get ‘im started!” She exclaimed.

“Well, we said it ourselves, he could start small.” Sweetie Belle explained. “Maybe that’s all we needed to do to finish the job.”

“Either way, you know what that means!” Scootaloo began, fluttering her wings in excitement.

“CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS FRIENDSHIP MISSION IS A TOTAL SUCCESS!!!” they all cheered, letting out various hollars as they made for the nearest hotel.

Big Mac looked at the bouncing fillies with a big smile on his muzzle, letting out the proudest “Eeyup!” he ever did say.

Author's Note

So, those Crusaders were a bit challenging to write for. I'm surprised it turned out as well as it did. But the real surprise for me came from Big Mac. He is one of those characters that just writes himself. I went into the exchange between him and Brightling thinking they were gonna try to duke it out. But "nnope". Big Mac just went on into a full-on speech, and I think that's a lot closer to who he is as a character. I'm glad it didn't turn out how I expected. It ended up a lot better because of it.

To Propose A Proposal

I need your… advice… I’ve got this… um… issue? Not really an issue, more of an idea. But I don’t know how to go about it or what to do or anything like that! I would go into detail, but… Could you maybe come to Ponyville? This is something I need to talk to you about in person… B-but we can’t tell Twilight what we’re talking about! You… You could bring Flurry, and have Twilight look after her while we… um… talk. This is super important, and Twilight can’t know! Please? I… suppose it’ll be easier to explain when I see you, huh?

Sincerely, Boltsinger” the letter read, floating in front of the Unicorn’s face. Shining Armor never expected a letter from Boltsinger, but he felt that this was something rather important.

“So, what’s the letter about?” Cadence asked, taking a peek over her husband’s shoulder.

“He wouldn’t say. All I know is that it’s important.” he replied, floating it over to her. “I could tell even before he said it was.”

“How so?” she wondered, looking it over.

“He stammered in his writing.” He told her, getting up and heading for the nursery. “I’m going to hear him out. Are you able to come with us?”

“I have too much to take care of here.” Cadence stated, rolling the letter up and putting it aside. “You have a good trip, though.”

Shining Armor smiled to himself as he left. “It should be… interesting.”

The next day, Boltsinger paced his way through the music room, his pet monkey riding on his back. He had filled it with various bookshelves, books of music filling about half of them, with instrument guides dotting the collection as well. There were music stands stashed in a corner, some holding books of their own. He never got a reply to the letter he had sent to the Crystal Empire, and he was beginning to freak out.

“So… is he not coming?” He wondered, looking at the floor as he circled the room. “Does he not think it’s important? Does he not think I’m important enough to warrant a visit? Did he figure out what I wanted to ask him about? I mean Rarity says I’m not very hard to figure out and everypony else can tell what I’m thinking most of the time and then there’s the way I wrote the letter, and… is it weird to transcribe your own stammer? I don’t know, I just want to make sure I do this right and he’s the only pony I know who’s done this before!” He stopped his pacing, looking back and forth with his ears low. “Maybe I’m making a mistake… Maybe this is too big of a step! Maybe I should just give up on the whole idea an--” his thoughts were interrupted by a sudden impact to the back of his head, causing it to wobble slightly. He turned his head to see Abu pointing at him repeatedly, letting out various monkey noises as if he were lecturing his owner. “Yes, yes, I understand! Thanks, Abu, I really needed that.” The monkey calmed down, sitting back down and sifting through the stallion’s mane as per usual.

A knock came at the door. “Boltsinger! Somepony’s here!” Twilight announced from beyond. “I’m gonna go see who it is. You want to join me?”

Boltsinger opened the door, seeing Twilight turning to leave. “Definitely.” He trotted next to the mare as his monkey sidekick climbed a pillar on the wall. He turned his head towards Twilight as they made their way. “So, what have you been up to?”

“Starlight and I were practicing advanced magic in the library.” She lit up her horn slightly, creating sparks above her head. “She may not be my student anymore, but we always teach each other new tricks when we discover them!” She leaned in close to him, putting a wing on his back. “A while back, she apparently created a spell that lets you share feelings that you can’t put into words. She perfected it a week ago, and we went over it together today. I’ll show you in detail later if you want!”

“I think I’m good on that front.” he said, shaking his head. “Although I think I know which spell you’re talking about. Sunburst told me that she used something like that when they finally confessed their feelings for each other. She made it in a bit of a panic, and it just kinda… worked. I only saw the aftermath.”

The two ponies came to the main entrance to the castle, hearing the sound of a crying foal. Twilight’s face lit up upon hearing it, as she dashed over to the door as quickly as possible. She opened the door wide, met with a tackling hug from a tiny Alicorn.

“Flurry!” She called, embracing her niece tightly. “Why are you here, Bug?”

“She’s here because I’m here, obviously!” a deep voice told her. “I had some business here in Ponyville, and I thought it would be good for Flurry to visit the ‘Best Aunt Ever’!”

Boltsinger looked at the stallion in the doorway, who looked back at him with a knowing wink. “Shining Armor! Great to see you!” He greeted, rushing to the Unicorn’s side. “I take it you got my letter?” He whispered.

“Got it and came as soon as I could.” He replied, floating all of Flurry’s things inside. “What’s the ‘super important’ thing you need to talk about?”

“Not something I can talk freely about in present company…” he explained, directing his eyes at the laughing Alicorn laying on her back. He cleared his throat, catching Twilight’s attention. “So, I’m gonna help Shining Armor with the… uh…”

“Business.” the older stallion stated.

“Business! Yes! The business he has here in Ponyville!” He finished, laughing as nervously as the day he arrived. “GOTTAGOLOVEYOUBYE!!!” With that, he literally took off towards Ponyville

Twilight looked at the streak left behind by the stallion’s sheer speed. “He seems nervous… What’s going on?”

Shining Armor gave a nervous smile of his own. “It’s… uh… really urgent business! I’d better go catch up to him! You two have fun!” He gave his foal a kiss on the cheek and galloped off as fast as his legs would take him.

Boltsinger landed next to Sugar Cube Corner, looking around to see Shining Armor galloping up to him. “Sorry about that! Got a little nervous…” He said, bowing his head. “I guess I owe you a bit of an explanation, huh?”

Shining Armor gave a nod, walking into the establishment. “And a cupcake or two. I wanna get Flurry and Cadence some treats.”

“Can do. I need to talk to Pinkie anyway.” the Pegasus agreed.

“Ah! Boltsinger! How are you doing, dearie?” Mrs. Cake asked as she spied the stallion. “And… Prince Shining Armor? What brings you to Ponyville?”

Shining Armor smiled at the swirly mare. “You just said hello to the reason, Mrs. Cake. Bolt and I are having a… special visit. Don’t tell Twilight about what we talk about here, okay?”

Mrs. Cake giggled. “Oh, of course! Is there anything I can get you boys?”

“Well, I could use a Pinkie Pie right about now.” Boltsinger stated. “But I’d also love some cupcakes. Chocolate for me… I think Starlight likes those, too, along with some of Twilight’s favorite, and a few sapphire cupcakes for Spike.” Mrs. Cake rang up the price, which the orange pony placed on the counter. Shining Armor placed his order as the Pegasus headed for the nearest table, setting his rump down beside it.

Shining Armor sat beside Boltsinger, looking at the stallion as he pawed the floor with a foreleg. “Okay, so what’s so important that you have to write a letter so awkwardly-worded that you stammered in ink?”

Boltsinger slapped his muzzle with his wings, taking a long, deep breath. “There’s… two things I need.” he began, holding out a wing with one feather outstretched. “First, I need your advice. You’re the only pony I know who’s done the thing I’m thinking about… at least in recent years… So I figured you were the best source of information on the subject. Plus I don’t want Twilight to know that I read ahead of her in our book.”

“What kind of thing would you need advice about?” the Unicorn wondered, leaning against the table. “And why would it need to come from me?”

Boltsinger extended another feather. “That brings me to the second thing I need…” he continued, the nerves coming back with a vengeance. “I need… Oh, how do I put this?” He stood up, pacing around the room. “I need… your… not advice, not approval, well it’s a kind of approval, I guess, but it’s a different kind of approval than the approval you’ve already approved of, but it’s still a kind of approval I really really really really REALLY want!” He stopped walking, looking wide-eyed into Shining Armor’s as he hyperventilated. “I need your… your…”

Shining Armor reached forward, putting his hooves on his friend’s shoulders. “Calm down… You’ve been living with Twilight for a while, now. I know freak-outs tend to happen. Just slow down, search your thoughts, and say what you need to say, okay?”

Boltsinger’s breathing slowed, his hindquarters and gaze falling to the floor once more. “I need your... “ he took a quick but deep breath, as if to postpone what he had to say. “I need your--”

“Hi, Bolt!” Pinkie greeted, sitting between the two stallions. “Hi, Shining Armor! Mrs. Cake said you wanted to see me! What do you need?”

“Ah! Pinkie! Your timing is nothing short of uncanny!” Boltsinger exclaimed, smiling at the party pony. “I have a need for a…” He leaned in close, his eyes darting to either side. “Party…” he whispered.

Pinkie’s face lit up in its usual way. “Ooh! What kind of party?”

“I don’t know when it’ll be, and I don’t know the exact details, but it’s the kind of… party… you throw after a major event.” he explained. He put a wing up to hide his muzzle as he whispered what details he could into her ear.

When the Pegasus pulled away, Pinkie put on a smug expression, waving her hoof in the air between them. “Psshh! I started planning that one the moment you two got together!” she bragged.

Boltsinger’s mouth hung open as he tilted his head, looking at the poofy mare in utter disbelief. “How have you been planning this for so long? Where do you keep all of these plans?!”

“Secret party planning cave.” Pinkie informed him. “Well, I’m gonna go finalize those plans! Bye!” She got up, walking over to one of the display shelves. She pulled up on a display piece, revealing it to be a kind of lever as a trap door opened beneath her, causing her to disappear into the hole below. Boltsinger and Shining Armor ran over and looked down at the opening, seeing it close tight before them. The stallions looked at each other, then back at the floor, which looked like nothing in it had changed, in awe.

“So… that’s a thing.” Boltsinger said, going back to the table.

“So, before we were interrupted, you said you needed something from me?” Shining Armor lead, joining the younger pony.

“Yes. I need your advice.” Boltsinger pointed out.

“And… you also need my…?” Shining Armor continued, making a beckoning motion with his hoof.

Boltsinger sighed. “I need… your… your blessing…” he mumbled.

“My what?” the Unicorn asked. “I didn’t quite catch it.”

“I need your…” he coughed into his foreleg. “...blessing…” He continued muffling himself with more coughing.

“Could you maybe speak up?” he requested, putting a hoof to his ear. “You seem to be mumbling.”

Boltsinger inhaled sharply, sitting up straight. “I…” he started, his eyes closed. “I NEED YOUR BLESSING, OKAY?!!!” He shouted, his entire body rising off of the floor as his legs and wings flared out in different directions. The power of his voice sent a localized wind in Shining Armor’s face, causing him to create a magical shield in front of himself. Boltsinger’s body lowered back down to the floor. He sat at the table, slamming his head down onto it with a loud, frustrated groan.

Shining Armor dispelled his shield, looking at the stallion before him. “Wait, when you say ‘blessing’, do you mean--”

Boltsinger’s head shot up from the table. “YES!” He exclaimed with an intense and determined frown. “That is exactly what I mean!” His head hit the table once more with a loud thud. He took a few deep breaths, not moving from his position. “I’ve had… issues… every time the situation between Twilight and I… moves forward. She’s always been the one to take the initiative. She talked to me first. She kissed me first. She moved all my stuff into the bedroom! I’ve always tried to be… complacent. Wanting to keep things as they are ‘cause I always thought it was as good as I was ever gonna get!” He slowly raised his head, turning to look at the brother of the mare he loved. “But there’s one thing I’m absolutely certain of…”

Shining Armor gave Boltsinger a challenging look. “And what would that be?” he asked, jutting his head closer.

“I want to be with Twilight for the rest of my life.” the Pegasus flatly informed him. “Commitment and all. Through absolutely everything. And I’m willing to tell all of Equestria that if I have to.”

Shining Armor smiled warmly at the Pegasus. “Well said, soldier.” He affirmed, putting a hoof on his shoulder. “You know, you were already family. We covered that much on Hearth’s Warming. What you’re basically talking about doing is… making it official. Why would I not be okay with that?”

Boltsinger looked at the smiling face of the visiting pony, taking another deep breath. “Okay. Well I guess that brings me to my advice.” he started. “How in Equestria did you bring yourself to being able to propose to a Princess?”

“Well, I guess I might have cheated a little.” Shining Armor told him. “You see, Twily and me already had a long history with Cadence. She was Twily’s foal-sitter, and we’d been friends for years. We already had a pretty stable relationship going, so popping that question was a no-brainer. I didn’t see her as a Princess, but as the mare that I wanted to spend my life with. Kinda like you just did when you told me why you needed my blessing.”

Boltsinger scratched his mane with his wing as Mrs. Cake brought their orders out. “And your nerves weren’t the least bit shot? None of the freak-outs that I’ve seen from your sister?”

Shining Armor repeated the other stallion’s motion with his own foreleg, letting an embarrassed smile eke its way onto his muzzle. “I’ll admit… it was pretty nerve-wracking. But I did it, and… after the most dangerous wedding anypony had ever seen, it happened, and we’ve been happy together ever since.”

“With the most powerful baby ever as proof.” Boltsinger added, working his way to his hooves and sliding his box onto his back.

Shining Armor laughed, knowing exactly what he meant. “Yup. She’s a horn-full alright. But always--”

“--worth it…” Shining Armor finished, he and Boltsinger standing in the doorway to the dining room, jaws dropped as the wall became covered in mashed peas. Twilight and Spike stood in front of the filly, distorted outlines of them visible in the pea stain behind them. “...You all having a good time?”

Twilight opened her eyes, looking at the arriving stallions. “Oh! You’re back!” she exclaimed, creating a bubble around herself and Spike that slid all of the peas off of them. “How was your… business?”

“... Business was good.” Boltsinger replied, nodding slightly as he stifled a laugh. “I see Flurry is decorating the room again.” He trotted over to the table, placing his box atop it as he made his way to the little filly and leaned in next to her. “Flurry…” he started, the foal’s ears perking up. She turned her head to see nopony there. “Flurry…!” he repeated, this time from the other side. He placed his wings in front of her eyes. “Guess who!”

“Bo-bo!!!” the excited filly cried out, magicking the wings away from her eyes. She looked up eagerly, seeing Boltsinger’s smiling muzzle looking down at her. She let out a happy squee, shaking her forelegs in front of her and reaching up.

“That’s right!” he confirmed, fluttering over to sit in front of her. “And I would love to play with you right just now… But I’m sooooooo hungry!” He picked up a jar of mashed peas, opening it. “Why, I could eat all of these peas… But I don’t have anypony to eat with!” he feigned sorrow as he looked into the foal’s eyes. “Would you like to eat with me, Flurry Heart?” Flurry shook her head, pushing the peas in front of her away and crossing her forelegs. “But the sooner we eat, the sooner we can play together!” He pleaded, looking into her eyes with big pupils. Flurry’s eyes opened a tiny bit, a giggle escaping as she saw the stallion’s hopeful face. She couldn’t hold it in much longer, and let out a full-on laugh, floating the peas in front of her and setting them down. Boltsinger held up a spoon that she quickly began levitating, scooping up some of the food and sliding it into her mouth and alternating bites between herself and Boltsinger, who accepted each spoonful with a deliberate “Aah” as she approached.

Spike sat in one of the chairs at the table, resting his head on his claw. “It just comes easy to some ponies, huh?”

Boltsinger chuckled, swallowing another mouthful of peas. “It’s all about incentive, Spike. I gave her something to look forward to, which makes the task I want her to do easier to… well…” he opened his mouth as Flurry’s food-Pegasus came in for a landing, quickly swallowing. “... swallow.”

Twilight laughed at the irony of her special somepony’s finishing word, trotting up next to her brother. “So, what was it you two had to do in such a hurry?” she asked.

“Nothing you need to worry about, sis.” he informed her. “Let’s just say that he needed the voice of experience, and I…” he looked at his daughter, who cheered as her food was finished. “... needed a small break. We took care of everything we needed to. But, it seems like Flurry wants to stay a while longer.”

“You’re welcome to stay the night if you want.” Twilight suggested.

“That’d be great.” Shining Armor confirmed.

Some time later, Boltsinger stood in the throne room in Canterlot, hundreds of ponies gathered round with Princess Celestia standing behind him. He wore a simple tuxedo, looking at the tall double doors as organ music played. He looked down at his outfit, then back at the door. Wait… Is this what I think it is? This is… am I? No… I haven’t even asked her yet! He pondered, hearing the music play on. Am I even doing the right thing here?

“No…” a distorted voice came from behind, whispering into his ear. He turned around, searching for the source, but finding nothing. He faced the aisle again.

Would this really make her happy? He continued, scrunching his face.

“No…!” the voice said again, louder than before. He reared up, looking around frantically for the origin, but only seeing Celestia smiling back at him with glowing green eyes.

Am I even worth all of this?! He finally thought, clenching his teeth as his nerves got tighter. All eyes in the room were on him, glowing green and getting brighter.

“No…!” it continued, louder still. “Absolutely NOT!” Every pony in the room cried out in agony as a shard of grey flew out of each of them, the scream of Celestia distorted and ear-shattering. The shards turned into a mist that seeped through the cracks in the double doors. “You would dare to have what I have for yourself? You would dare to want something, period? You should know better!” The doors opened wide, a foul wind blowing through that turned the bodies of everypony but Boltsinger into dust. In the doorway stood a cracked and distorted image of a grey Unicorn mare, stepping towards him with slow but deliberate stomps that shook the ground with each motion. “You’re not worth it!” it stated, pointing it's horn at him. “You’re not good enough!”

Boltsinger stepped back with each of the mare’s stomps, his eyes wide with terror. His rump hit the wall behind him, Celestia’s crown at his feet as he fruitlessly skidded his hooves on the floor, wings refusing to move for him. The mare loomed over him, her eyes glowing a bright green with cracks covering her body. She pointed her horn at him once more, lighting up the air around the stallion and sending a wave of excruciating pain through his very being. He let out a distorted scream as he writhed, his eyes going blank.

Twilight’s eyes opened in a flash, instantly sitting up in her bed as a scream pierced through her eardrums. She turned to look at Boltsinger, seeing him thrashing around in the bed, tossing pillows and blankets everywhere. Despite his lack of consciousness, his eyes were wide open, a bright glowing green replacing the usual purple as his entire body arched like a drawn bow.

“Bolt!” She cried, shaking him with her hooves. “Boltsinger, wake up!” He didn’t respond. She threw herself on top of him, pinning down his flailing frame and bringing her wings together on his muzzle as hard as she could. This should work… This always works! He’ll wake up and be fine and…

No response.

Twilight looked on in shock, her wings still in place on his face. “Oh… What do I do… What do I do?!” She brought her wings back, hanging her head. “If Princess Luna were here… She could at least do something!”

The door to the bedroom swung open, the Princess in question galloping in. “Twilight Sparkle! I need your help!”

Twilight’s attention snapped to the approaching Alicorn, her face distressed. “Whatever it is, it can wait!” She told her, turning her gaze back to the writhing stallion. “He’s in pain… and I need to be there for him!”

“That is precisely why I need your help.” Luna replied, stepping beside the bed. “This pain stems from his dreams, and I cannot get in to assist him! Please, Twilight Sparkle, I need you to return to sleep, that together we might save him!”

Twilight looked at the pleading Princess once more, seeing the earnestness in her eyes. She looked back at the pained stallion, his pupils shrunken to the point of appearing as little green dots. After a moment, she nodded, tightly embracing the orange pony as Luna lit up her horn to send her off to sleep.

Twilight stood on a road made of stars, several doors lining either side. The one in front of her was pulsing. It was made of a dark metal, sealed shut with several bolts, but was bulging with a green light and blue electricity. She reached for the door, but the light intensified, sending her reeling.

“Is this door… the way into his dream?” she wondered, looking back to see Luna landing next to her. The Princess of the Night nodded her head, stepping up to the door and putting her horn to it.

“I cannot open it… The light that you see has barred my way many times, and created this door.” She explained. “I fear that I, alone, am not enough to open it. The presence in his mind is too strong.”

“How will I be able to help, then?” Twilight inquired. “I don’t have the kind of influence you do in dreams!”

“I believe you are the key to opening this door.” Luna began, spreading her wings wide. “The presence in his mind is monstrously powerful, but I believe that it can be matched by somepony whose presence in his heart has just as much influence. You should be able to do what I cannot.”

“You really think I’m that big of an influence on him?” she asked, moving back towards the door.

“See for yourself.” Luna stated, motioning to the door. Twilight took another ginger step towards the metal slab, lighting up her horn and encasing the bolts that held it in place. The magic she created became charged with the electricity that surged through the door, tightening Twilight’s grip as she pulled with all of her might. Luna looked at the door, noticing that the bolts had begun to turn, picking up speed as they quickly came loose. Twilight let out a straining yell, pulling the bolts clean out as her magic faded, the door vaporized in a flash of light.

Twilight opened her eyes, looking through the light at the image inside. What she saw was a familiar room in Canterlot castle, where Boltsinger was in the far end of the room, raised into the air by a distorted and cracked image of a Unicorn mare’s green magic. “Boltsinger!” She cried out, jumping through the door. She ran at the attacking mare, horn first.

“Twilight, wait! You cannot hope to match the creature’s might he--” Luna started, jumping through after her fellow Alicorn. She found herself silenced as the dark creature turned towards Twilight, the two locking horns. Both of their horns lit furiously, the mares pushing against one another, neither giving an inch. The green light coming from the fragmented mare intensified, being met equally by a powerful magenta glow forming around the Princess of Friendship. “How is this possible…?” Luna pondered aloud, gazing at the confrontation in awe.

The magic coming from the two came to a boil, an explosion of light forcing them apart. Boltsinger sank to the floor, his eyes returning to normal as he looked at the one fighting the monster. “Twilight…?” he started, tilting his head as he fell to the floor. Luna lunged forward, flying above the glaring mares to land next to the collapsed stallion. He directed his gaze at her as she made a bubble around him. “Luna… What’s going on?”

“Twilight Sparkle is fighting your darkness... “ she answered, facing the conflict. “I did not realize the sway she holds over your heart would give her such power in your dreams.”

Twilight’s horn flared up again, power swirling around it as she took aim. “You’ve hurt somepony I love!” She yelled, her expression intensifying. “You’ll get no mercy!” She let loose a blast of magic, more powerful than any she had launched before. Focused and precise, it struck the shadowy construct directly on the base of the neck, causing it to let out a distorted scream as it reared back. It jumped to the side, galloping around Twilight and firing blasts of its own. The Princess rose into the air, creating a bubble around herself and extending beams of magic out of it, all homing in on the construct. “You’re not getting away!” Her eyes glowed fiercely, a white light seeping out of them like a flame as she gritted her teeth in a furious scowl. The magic in her horn grew larger still, causing each and every beam to increase in size and speed.

“He will never be rid of me!” the construct exclaimed, rising into the air as well. It screamed loudly, obliterating the surroundings to reveal a large number of copies of itself, all pointing and laughing at the lilac-coated Alicorn. “I’ve grown too strong! I’m etched into his very being… A permanent part of his personality! You think somepony like you can make a difference?”

“I know I’ve made a difference!” she retorted. “If I hadn’t, then I wouldn’t be able to do this!!!” The bubble around her shined with the light of her magic, sending beams of pinpoint magic into the horns of each clone, shattering all but the initial opponent. She dispelled her bubble, charging headlong into her foe and pinning her to what felt like the ground. Her face was fraught with rage, loosing a point-blank magical blast into the laughing construct, breaking off pieces of her. The construct smiled, its horn glowing as it pushed Twilight away. Twilight landed several feet away, flaring her wings and readying her horn.

“Boltsinger, stay here. I must help her!” Luna commanded, leaping between the battling mares. She looked fiercely at the cracked construct, igniting her own horn and charging at full speed. “You will not plague this pony any longer! I will never allow it again!”

Luna’s charge hit home, impaling the construct on her horn as she raised it above herself. It laughed maniacally, the light from its body growing brighter as it broke apart. The construct exploded in a flash of green, fragments of it spreading out in all directions.

“I WON’T LET YOU ESCAPE!!!” Twilight shouted, sending out a beam from her horn that split into thousands of smaller blasts. They each sought out and struck one of the fragments left by the explosion, snuffing out every last bit of the green light that they could find. She charged forward, looking around frantically. Her eyes darted in every direction, using every last bit of her processing power to find any inkling of what may remain. “Where is it…? I know there’s at least one little piece left! WHERE IS IT?!”

Boltsinger worked his way to his hooves, the bubble around him disappearing. “Twilight, calm down…” he started, stepping towards her.

Twilight snapped her head in his direction, her eyes still fiery as she seethed. He was weakly making his way to her, knees shaking as he went. Her face softened, the fire slowly dying down as she jumped into him, holding him tightly. “You’re okay!!!” she cried, burying her face in his shoulder as her sobs began. “I heard you screaming, and you were thrashing around in bed… Your eyes had that glow in them, and I couldn’t wake you up!” Boltsinger put his forelegs around her, slowly stroking her mane with his hooves. “Luna brought me here, and when I saw that… that thing that witch made… I just lost control!” she breathed her way through several more sobs, holding him tighter. “I’ve never felt so much rage… I just… I hate her!” She fell into small fits of screaming sobs, remaining that way for several minutes.

Luna sat beside the two, creating a spark at the end of her horn. With a flash of light, the embracing ponies opened their eyes, still in the same position, Twilight still crying, in the bedroom, the Princess of the Night standing over them with all of their friends gathered around the bed.

“I hate her so much for what she’s done to you…” the Princess of Friendship continued, nuzzling into her special somepony as the stallion’s face sank.

Author's Note

My writer's senses are gong off a mile a minute with Twilight here. Red flags everywhere. I make it my mission to be as true to the characters as I possibly can, and this is just screaming at me that Twilight has branched off HARD. I know full well that these emotions for her are a major change from who she is, but... At the same time, those same writing senses, and Twilight's voice in my head, are imploring me to roll with this. Like it's the natural flow of the story. It demands to be addressed and explored.
So buckle up, folks. This is going to be a very interesting ride for all of us.

The Search

An hour had passed, and Boltsinger sat alone in the throne room. Twilight was still reeling from the emotional impact of her experience. Luna was staying in the bedroom with her, helping her back to sleep. He looked up at the chandelier, seeing happy memories in each of the ornaments.

“What have I done to her?” He asked himself, lingering on the image of her smiling face.

“Whaddaya mean, sugarcube?” Applejack asked, coming in from behind followed by Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy.

Boltsinger looked back at the gathering mares. “You heard what she said…” he looked at his reflection in the map. “That word she used… The ugliest word I know, and she uttered it… all because of me…”

“You mean the one she used to describe her feelings about… her?” Rarity guessed. Boltsinger nodded, closing his eyes. “Darling, from what I heard, her feelings are completely justified.”

“Yeah! She saw somepony she loves being attacked, and she went in to take out the one responsible!” Rainbow exclaimed, hovering above the stallion. “You didn’t do anything to her.”

“But she’s the Princess of Friendship! Is she even allowed to feel that way about somepony?” He reared his head back, falling over backwards to stare at the ceiling. “And if I hadn’t come along, she would never have heard of Sparks, never have had to get into my dreams, and never have gotten that awful feeling…”

“But if you never came along, then you’d still be the sad panicked pony you were a year ago!” Pinkie added, putting her head over his. “Would that really be better? ‘Cause it doesn’t sound very fun to me!”

“Who cares what happens to me?” He retorted, rolling onto his side. “I’m just one pony who smacked into a wall. I’m nothing compared to the Princess of Friendship and her best friends. I may have made you all laugh sometimes, and I really do love all of you, but… Are your lives better because of me?” He sat up and pointed his hoof in the direction of Twilight’s room. “Is her life better because of me?! She’s supposed to be the biggest advocate for friendship and harmony that anypony has ever seen, and I brought that dark feeling into her heart through the sheer association I have with somepony else!”

Fluttershy sat on the floor beside Boltsinger, gingerly putting her wing around him. “Princess or not, she’s still a pony. We’re all allowed to… um...” she paused, a shade of pink appearing on her face as she moved her mane to the side to look at him. “feel…”

Boltsinger sighed, diverting his gaze back to the floor. “And we all know what happened the last time an Alicorn allowed herself to feel hate…”

All raised rumps in the room hit the floor in that instant. All eyes fell on the orange Pegasus as the realization hit them.

“You’ve got… a heck of a point, there.” Applejack admitted. “Tell ya what. Why don’t we all sleep on it? It’s pretty late, and y’all just had a doozy of a dream. So we’ll all stay here fer the night, and see where we are in the mornin’!”

“Okay… I can work with that.” he admitted, starting a shaky walk back up to the bedroom. “I’ll see you all tomorrow…” he turned his head to face forward, setting his gaze on his destination and opening his mouth with a whisper. “I’m sorry…”

Morning arrived with the blowing of the whistle on the Friendship Express. The Sound carried through town as it made its departure, finally reaching the ears of a soundly-sleeping Princess in her bedroom. She woke up with a yawn and a stretch, looking around to see not much out of the ordinary. Her special somepony wasn’t in the bed this morning, but after nights like the one they had just gone through, he was more likely to wake up early. She lazily went through her morning routine, half-asleep as she entered the dining room, where her guests were all gathered around the table.

“Morning, everypony…” she said with a yawn. “Why are you all here so early?”

“We all stayed overnight.” Fluttershy informed her. “Just to make sure you were okay… if that’s okay.”

“Well, you’ve already done it, so of course I don’t mind.” The Princess replied, taking a seat.

“How’re ya feelin', sugarcube?” Applejack inquired. “Any better since yer… encounter?”

Twilight nodded, crossing her forelegs on the table in front of her. “A little. Princess Luna helped me get a good night’s sleep, and my mind is a lot clearer after that.”

“Glad to hear it!” The farm pony exclaimed. “Is Bolt sleepin’ in like usual?”

Twilight gave a puzzled look. “I don’t think so. I haven’t seen him.”

“But don’t you lovebirds sleep in the same bed?” Applejack wondered. “If y’all haven’t seen ‘im after a nightmare like that… Oh no…” She rose from her seat, running into the hallway. “BOLT! WHERE ARE YA?!” She called, galloping through the castle.

Shining Armor poked his head into the hall, looking back and forth. “What’s going on? Why is it so strange that he woke up early?”

The rest of the element-bearers at the table exchanged worried looks. Rainbow Dash shot out of the room, joining Applejack in her search. Pinkie soon followed suit, bouncing along in her usual way. Fluttershy looked down at the table, a somber expression lining her muzzle.

“I don’t understand… What’s wrong?” The Princess asked.

Rarity moved to sit beside her lilac-coated friend. “Last night, we had a little… chat… with Boltsinger regarding something you said when you woke up. A specific word you used… affected him. Do you recall how you were feeling after that dream?”

Twilight’s head lowered. “Of course… I felt awful. I was happy that he was okay, but I was so… angry… I hated Sparks for all the pain she caused him.”

“That’s what worries him so much.” Rarity stated. “The fact that you said that you hated her. Dear, I know you’re aware of what happened the last time an Alicorn experienced hate.”

“Nightmare Moon…” Twilight confirmed. “But… I would never let darkness like that take hold!”

Rarity nodded, leaning in closer. “Yes, but you can’t stop the fear of something like that happening. And as the Princess of Friendship, hate is something that should be the furthest thing from your heart… At least, in his opinion.”

“Okay, you have a point…” Twilight admitted, leaning on the table. “But why is everypony wondering where he went?”

Rarity sighed, explaining the rest of the situation in detail. “So, you see, I believe they’re worried that he might have… Oh my, we really must find him!”

Twilight raised her head, looking wide-eyed at Rarity. She jumped from her seat, rushing into the castle. Rarity and Fluttershy looked at one another, rising up and following their friend.

As the room emptied, Spike walked in, a trolley full of delectable breakfast fixings covering the surface. He looked around, seeing nopony but Shining Armor and Flurry, who were, themselves, making for the exit. He shrugged, taking some of the morsels and wolfing them down.

Minutes later, the six gathered in the foyer, breathing heavily as Shining Armor cantered over to them.

“Did you find him?” He asked.

Twilight shook her head, her eyes closed. “No… He wasn’t in the library, the music room, his old bedroom… None of the places he would usually be.”

“I searched the entire west wing, an’ I didn’t see hide nor hair of ‘im!” Applejack added. “What about you, Rainbow?”

“I got nothing!” she answered. “He’s not on the east side and there’s no sign of him in the clouds above the castle, either!” She stomped her hooves, lowering her head angrily. “I just knew he’d pull this kinda stunt! We shoulda tied him down and made him understand!”

“He could still be in Ponyville.” Fluttershy suggested. “Where does he normally go when he’s not home?”

Pinkie raised her foreleg enthusiastically. “Ooh! Ooh! I know! Pick me! Pick me!” She called out.

“Um… Pinkie Pie?” The pink-maned Pegasus started. “You wanted to sa--”

Pinkie took an impossibly deep breath. “He could be at Sugar Cube Corner, Sweet Apple Acres, DJ PON-3 and Octavia’s house, the general store the book store, Quills and Sofas, Hay Burger…” she went on for several minutes, listing nearly every location in Ponyville.

“Well, he could be at the spa.” Rarity implied. The other ponies all deadpanned in her direction. Rarity gave a sheepish smile back, letting out an embarrassed chortle. “Yes… I suppose not.”

“All right, girls, fan out! We’ve got a stallion to find!” Twilight exclaimed, spreading her wings regally. The other mares nodded in unison, each giving their own confirmations as they bolted out the door.

As Twilight knelt down to take off, a hoof touched her shoulder. “Twily, can I talk to you for a second?”

“What is it?” She replied, turning to face her brother.

“I know you’re worried about Bolt. And I don’t blame you.” He told her, walking over to one of the benches at the side of the room and taking a seat. “I mean, his freak-outs are almost as big as yours these days. But, I’m sure he’ll be back. He probably just needed some space to clear his head. It’s not like he’d just run off and leave you right now, what with all he had planned.”

Twilight inhaled sharply, putting a hoof above her heart and extending her foreleg out as she exhaled. “You have a good point… With what I did to that… thing in his mind, there’s nothing to stop his better judgement from guiding him home.” She got up, trotting to the door. “I’m still gonna look for him, though. He owes me an explanation for leaving before breakfast at the very least!” Shining Armor smiled, magically pulling his daughter’s carriage to him with the foal in question sitting inside as he followed the mares.

Each pony searched different parts of Ponyville. Applejack went home to the farm, asking if Boltsinger had been there, to which she was met with a definite “Nnope!” Pinkie searched every nook and cranny of Sugar Cube Corner, including under the rocks, in the mailbox, and her party planning cave. No sign of him there. Rainbow Dash sped all over the place, looking on every cloud, in every relaxing hangout, in the training field. She covered as much ground and sky as she possibly could, only to come up empty. She growled in frustration as she flew, letting it boil up and come out as a loud yell as she bucked a nearby storm cloud.

Fluttershy’s search, from her perspective, was a daunting one. She had asked all of the animals she could find, but none of them or their families could find any trace of Boltsinger in or around Ponyville. She looked over at the only other possible location, her teeth chattering in fear as she thought of the idea of entering...

“The Everfree Forest…!” She said to herself. The trees loomed over her as she stood at the edge. She was used to going in there more often, thanks to Zecora, but the thought of going in there still scared her to no end. “Well… Boltsinger knows how scary it is in there… he wouldn’t go in and get lost, right?” She turned around, wanting to go home. “But… if he is lost… He could be in danger! I can’t possibly leave him alone in there!” She turned back to the forest, galloping in with all of her might.

Ten minutes later, she flew out of the forest, screaming in terror. The animals in the meadow looked up at her, Angel chief among then. He shrugged, closing his eyes and shaking his head, soon scampering back to the cottage.

Rarity took the best approach she could think of. She donned an outfit from her “Femme Mystique” collection and set out asking everypony in town if they had seen a pony matching Boltsinger’s exact description, occasionally getting into an involved conversation that would lead into her question. Her investigation was long and hard but it turned up no results. All the while, Twilight and Shining Armor were going to all of the ponies that her special somepony had befriended in Ponyville over the past year. She would show up at a house, asking the residents if they had seen him, only to receive a solemn shake of the head that caused her to slump over and continue on her way.

After searching the entire town, the ponies gathered once again in the castle foyer. They were all breathing heavily, tired from all the activity and looking at one another.

“Twilight! There you are!” Starlight cried out, cantering over to the group. “You need to see this!” She turned to head for the throne room.

“What is it?” Twilight asked, following her student. “Did you find Bolt?”

“Yes… and no.” The Unicorn said, opening the door and stepping aside. Sitting in the middle of the map was a familiar book, one of Boltsinger’s air pockets placed above it. There was a piece of parchment sticking out of the book, very much unlike a bookmark.

Twilight floated the book over to her. It was the book she and Boltsinger had been reading together since they started dating. She opened it to the page the parchment marked, where a topaz decorated lightning bolt pendant fell out, only just hanging on the book’s binding. She looked at the necklace with sad eyes, knowing what it's presence implied. She held the book in her wings, tentatively directing her magic at the letter to unfold it in front of her eyes.

“To the mare who is my world: Twilight Sparkle,

I’m sorry. I’m sorry that knowing me has brought something so horrible into your life… I’m sorry that all the complications surrounding me have led to so many unpleasant encounters, painting your opinions of ponies, towns, and anything else that might have otherwise been better. I’m certainly no monster, but Sparks wasn’t completely wrong. I’m not exactly changing lives for the better, am I?

Maybe if you just… move on, live your life the way you did before I crashed into it, things can go back to how they felt back then. You’ll feel better about yourself, all of you won’t have to plan for that extra stallion who needed so much help from everypony so long ago, and you won’t be bogged down by feelings of hate towards somepony that’s not worth the effort.

Don’t get me wrong. This has been the single best year of my life. All of you are the greatest ponies I’ve ever known, and Ponyville is my favorite place in all of Equestria! It will always be my home. You will always be my home.

But I’m used to not having a home. I’ve lived like that before, and now I can do more to help ponies! I can make friends all over, and really make a difference! I’ll always be grateful for everything all of you have done for me. The magic of Friendship is strong, and this pony is a true believer.

You’ve made my life so much better, and brought in love that I didn’t know I was capable of.

Thank you for everything.

Boltsinger

P.S. Abu is at Sweet Feather Sanctuary, he’s gonna be helping to care for the animals. He likes to ride on ponies’ backs, groom them, and be swung around on wings and tails when he’s not swinging somewhere else.

P.P.S. You can pop the air pocket now.”

Tears flooded down Twilight’s face as she read the letter, falling to the parchment below. It was clear from the smudged ink and dark marks on the letter that the parchment was no stranger to crying ponies. Twilight put the book and letter back on the map, turning around to leave. “He’s… he’s gone…” she told the group, doing her best to stay strong. Her friends and relatives in the room looked on with shock. Shining Armor raised a hoof, wanting to reach for his sister. She sniffed up an encroaching sob, closing her eyes and wiping away her tears as Rainbow Dash flew over, standing on top of the map. She reached forward with one of her wings, poking the air pocket.

A familiar voice carried through the room, echoing off the walls and speaking through what sounded like a wall of tears. As her ears caught the words, Twilight fell to the floor, breaking down completely, all of her friends gathering together and embracing her tightly.

“I love you… Goodbye…” is all it said.

Author's Note

I stewed for a day and a half trying to get this right, both in words and in feelings. I'm still not entirely sure I did the emotions it gave me justice, but it's my best attempt. I hope you enjoyed it. And I hope you enjoy what comes next.

Intervention

Applejack walked through the foyer of the castle, looking around at the place. The atmosphere was gloomy, and the crystals looked faded. She sighed, increasing her pace to trot into the throne room, seeing the open book, and the letter still sitting on the edge. The farm pony turned around, making for the one room she knew her sulking friend might be.

“Twilight?” she called out, poking her head into the library. “How’re ya holdin’ up?”

The books in the room were all in the air, each flying in front of the Alicorn in question. With each book that she looked at, the shelves slowly filled. The Princess ears perked up, leaning her head past the wall of literature to see her friend.

“Me? I’m fine.” She replied, returning to her books. “It’s been a whole week since he left! I couldn’t be happier!” She picked up the pace of her sorting, a wide smile with dark circles under her eyes showing on her face as her image showed between the tomes. It was bigger than any Applejack had ever seen on the mare, reminding her of the smiles of the ponies from Starlight’s old village upon their first visit. Too wide to be genuine.

“You sure about that, hun?” she ducked under the torrent of books, standing next to Twilight. “‘Cause ya sure as hay ain’t actin’ like it.”

“What are you talking about? I’m sorting books!” The Princess declared, the books all taking their places on the shelves. “You know how much I like to sort books!” She laughed nervously, shrunken pupils darting between the spines of every book that crossed her vision, the library quickly filling back up.

“You do like organizin’ stuff.” Applejack admitted. “How long’ve y’all been at this, anyway?”

“A week, with small breaks for food!” Twilight informed her, her eyes unblinking.

Applejack blinked in amazement. “And ya haven’t slept that whole time?”

Twilight finished her sorting. “Nope! I’ve re-sorted this whole library from top to bottom twenty-seven times already!” She lit up her horn again, ready to begin again as Applejack put her hoof on the tip, snuffing out the spell.

“And I think the twenty-seventh time’s the charm.” She suggested, putting her foreleg around her. “Now, why don’t we go get some good food in ya, then getcha some rest?”

Twilight shook her head. “But I’m not tired! I can keep going for a lot lon--” the Alicorn stumbled, her eyes closing as she passed out. Applejack reached down and caught her falling friend, hoisting her up onto her back.

“How ‘bout we getcha in bed fer now and see where that goes?” she suggested, starting her walk to the master bedroom.

Twilight woke up with a massive headache, looking groggily into the mirror above her dresser. Her mane and tail were a disheveled mess, completely concealing her horn. She looked at the photos lining the mirror with a faint smile, putting on the pendant shaped like her Cutie Mark. Her smile widened more as her eyes fell upon each picture, finally coming upon a familiar pendant that hung from the corner, wiping the happy off of her face. She quickly brushed her hair, snorting and moving to leave.

Starlight waited outside the door, smiling warmly at her mentor. “Good morning!” She greeted. Closing the door behind Twilight. “How are you feeling?”

Twilight groaned in pain, rubbing her temples with her wingtips. “My head is killing me…”

“You were asleep for a pretty long time.” The Unicorn mentioned. “Everypony was starting to worry about you.”

“How long was I out?” Twilight wondered.

“Three days.” Starlight stated. “You passed out when Applejack came over. Bolt leaving seems to have really gotten to you, huh?”

Twilight’s head recoiled from the suggestion. “What?! No… He only just took off without telling me after Princess Luna and I risked everything to save him from some evil thing that a horrible witch put into his mind to torture him every time he even had an idea about being happy, all because he didn’t even try to talk to me about what bothered him about me disliking the pony who caused him no end of pain!” She stomped her right foreleg, flaring her wings angrily. “How could that have possibly gotten to me?”

Starlight winced, the words stinging her with every little emphasis. “Oooookay… How about we go get some breakfast and… not talk about this again?”

Twilight let out a deep breath, standing up straight again. “That sounds good.”

Starlight continued ahead. “Okay, I’m gonna go tell Spike you’re awake. He’s making breakfast right now.” She went into a canter, finding her way to the kitchen, where Spike was working over a hot stove. “Spike! Twilight’s awake!”

“Really? That’s great!” he shouted, throwing up his arms as hot oats flew everywhere. “How is she feeling?”

“I… may have mentioned Boltsinger, and she may have gone into an angry rant…” she explained with a sheepish expression.

Spike winced at the mere idea of Twilight’s response. “Ooh… You shouldn’t have done that…” He turned back to the oatmeal, resuming his work. “She’s been really out of it since he left. I dunno what he was thinking, leaving like that!”

Starlight raised her foreleg and puzzled for a moment. “If I know Bolt, he probably thought that he was a burden on everypony and dragged them down just to be on his level, then suffered a total mental relapse and flew away, convinced that it would go just like it did every other time he left somepony without saying it and not realizing that having been in our lives for such a long time and being so close to Twilight’s heart would make his sudden departure heartbreaking and do more harm than good.” Spike dropped his ladle into the oatmeal, turning back to look at Starlight in shock. “Well, I’m gonna go tell the girls that Twilight woke up. They’re wanting to talk to her soon.” She waved a hoof at the dragon, galloping out of the kitchen and into town.

That afternoon, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash accompanied Starlight into the castle, heading for the throne room. They had a lot to say, but weren’t entirely sure if the one they wanted to see would even listen. They swung open the doors, seeing the faded crystals lighting up at their presence. They each sat in their respective thrones, Starlight pulling up a seat between Applejack and Twilight’s empty one.

Spike came into the room, looking at everypony there. “You all ready?” he asked. They all nodded, looking determined. “Okay. But she’s been difficult today. She’s been distracting herself with research and all that. First she spent a week sorting the library, now she’s obsessed with messing it up. I’ll… I’ll go get her.” He turned back towards the hall. “Good luck, everypony.”

Moments later, Twilight came into the throne room. She looked grumpy, and was casting her gaze every which way. “What do you need?” she inquired, taking a seat in her throne.

“We need to talk, dear.” Rarity stated, looking worriedly at the lilac mare. “You’ve been running yourself ragged trying to occupy your mind! It’s almost like you’re… Like you’re grieving!”

“Yeah! You’ve been so off lately, the whole castle’s lost its luster!” Rainbow added. “I couldn’t get rid of those dark clouds looming over the place with a Sonic Rainboom!”

“Please, there aren’t any dark clouds over the castle!” Twilight said, resting her head on her forelegs.

Fluttershy looked down at her forelegs. “I think she just means metaphorical dark clouds.”

“No, there’s really dark clouds above the castle.” Rainbow corrected. “And I’ve tried everything I could to bust ‘em! They aren’t going anywhere!”

“So, what do you need to talk about?” Twilight repeated, growing ever-grumpier.

Applejack placed her forelegs on the map, standing in her seat and facing her friend with a sigh. “That’s where I come in, sugarcube.” She got out of her throne, closing the gap between herself and her friend. “I know what yer goin’ through.”

“Really?” the Princess snapped, glaring daggers at the farm pony. “And what can you possibly tell me about what I’m going through?”

Applejack stepped up to Twilight, looking her dead in the eye with a gentle gaze. “I know better than anypony what it’s like to...“ she took a reverent breath. “To suddenly lose somepony you love… No warnin’, no goodbye, and no say in the matter. Yer just left behind, livin’ on without ‘em, and ya don’t have any idea whatcha gotta do.” Twilight’s glare died down, realization hitting her like Bulk Biceps on a wall as she lowered her head. “I know how much it hurts. Bolt’s leavin’ definitely hit you the hardest, but that don’t mean we weren’t hurt by it, too. But none of us are spendin’ all our time tryin’ to run from how we feel about it!” She put her hoof on Twilight’s chin, raising her head to look her in the eye. “Ya need to stop lyin’ to yerself, ‘cause neither you nor Bolt are in yer right minds right now. I know ya let it out when it happened, but you’ve been spittin’ out curses the moment his name comes up for a week, now, and then ya went ‘n passed out from a lack o’ sleep! An’ despite all them curses, ya still wear that necklace he gave ya!” She pointed at Twilight’s pendant, which sparkled in the light. “So tell us… How do ya really feel?”

Twilight closed her eyes, hints of water threatening to come out. “I feel… greedy.” she admitted, turning her head back towards the map and looking at her reflection in it.

“Greedy?” Pinkie repeated, raising an eyebrow.

“What do you mean… greedy, darling?” Rarity asked.

Twilight slumped over, the tears falling freely as she put her head on the map while still looking forward. “I want him back, okay! I want him to come to his senses, come home, and have everything back the way it’s supposed to be!” Her breaths began heaving, Applejack putting a hoof on her back. “I wanted to hate him for leaving… I thought maybe if I just forgot about him like he said in his letter, then maybe he might have been right, and that everything would be fine again! But I can’t… I can’t forget him!” She brought her forelegs forward, burying her face in them.

“It’s a simple fact.” Starlight started, joining Applejack in the supportive gesture. “You’ve gotten to the point where… you need him in your life, haven’t you?”

Twilight softly nodded, refusing to lift her head as the rest of the mares came over to offer their support. “I do. I really do need him…” Feeling the support coming from the six mares who reached out to her, she rose, looking at all of them. “Just as much as I need all of you.” She smiled genuinely at her friends, who all beamed right back. They quickly came into a big group hug, lingering there for several seconds until…

CRASH!

A loud boom struck the doors to the castle, sending them flying off of their hinges. Applejack and Rainbow Dash ran to the door, opening it wide to see an orange Pegasus stallion skidding across the floor of the foyer, his wings charged with a massive electrical discharge that kept him moving even after he’d landed. His eyes were wide with shock as he spun around, moving backwards now. He skidded straight through the door and slammed, wings first, into the map with a loud ‘snap’ that sent him flying into the air with a backwards flip, rotating several times before he landed rather unceremoniously directly in the middle of the table, his rump raised into the air and his wings bent in strange ways as his crackling Cutie Mark calmed back down. He was in a daze, but still looking directly ahead. Directly into Twilight’s eyes as she leaned in close.

Twilight looked, wide-eyed, at the sudden arrival. “Boltsinger?!” she wondered, reaching out to touch him.

The stallion raised a foreleg as though giving a dramatic proclamation. “Hello, Twi-star Finkle! I am the Solt-binger and I am here to… to…” his eyes closed as his foreleg dropped to the table, his rump following suit as he fell to his side, passing out with a pained groan.

Author's Note

I know, this is a shorter one. If I'd made it any longer it would have felt like needless padding. But Applejack really wanted to say her piece. I hope you enjoyed it! Next chapter should be ready soon!

Breakings And Mendings

A ringing came in his ears, masking the sound of somepony’s voice. He opened his eyes slowly, seeing a bright light above him with a lilac-coated blur sitting above him. She was calling out something… A name. His name.

“Boltsinger!” She called once more, putting her hooves on the bed next to him. “Thank goodness you’re awake!” She lunged forward, wrapping her forelegs around him. When her hooves passed by his wings, he felt a sharp pain that caused him to scream in agony. The mare quickly withdrew her embrace, looking down at her hooves. “Oops! Sorry…”

Boltsinger looked at the mare, his vision clearing up to recognize her as the one pony he didn’t expect to see again. “Twilight?” he started, tilting his head. “But… You never need help with stuff my talents are good for… How did I end up back here with you?”

“That’s not important right now.” Twilight said, putting her hoof on his. “You’re in the hospital, Bolt. When you hit the map after you landed, you broke your wings.”

Boltsinger’s eyes grew wide, turning his head to see his wings sticking straight out, covered in bandages. “Both of them?” he pointed out. His head sank, looking at his lap. “How am I gonna do… anything? Ever since they got long enough to be usable, I’ve relied on them for so much…”

“Well, the doctor wants you to stay for a few days. And I’m going to be here with you as often as I can.” The Alicorn told him, pulling his blanket further over him. “You and I have a lot to talk about, after all.”

“I suppose you’re right…” he confirmed, trying to move his wing to scratch his mane, but wincing in pain instead. “Old habits, huh?”

Twilight smiled, reaching her own wing forward and scratching the back of his head. “There. Is that better?”

Boltsinger melted, leaning into the contact. “Eeyup.” His goofy grin was back on full display as he looked at his favorite mare, quickly leaving him as realization struck. “Wait, why are you being so nice? I thought you’d be angry with me…”

“Oh, I am angry.” She stated, pulling her wing away. “You left without any warning, you didn’t trust me to have a handle on my own emotions, you left your pendant behind, you made my heart feel like it was being ripped out, and you did it all just when I had been so worried about you that I risked everything to save you!” Her expression had gone from slightly stern to absolutely furious as she spoke, standing farther away from the bed so as to give herself some space. “And the worst part? YOU NEVER LET ME SAY MY PIECE!!!” As she raised her voice to it's full volume, the room shook. She shouted so loud that it raised her body off of the ground, wings and legs flared out everywhere. She was so angry that Boltsinger was reminded of the image of a white mare with literal fire for her mane and tail.

The stallion raised a hoof as he opened his mouth, trying to let some words out. After a moment, his hoof fell as he hung his head. “You’re right.” He admitted. “You have every reason to be angry. Every right to hate me, and every excuse to shut me out.” He brought his forelegs up, gripping his head with his hooves. “I panicked. And when I panic, I lose all sense of rational thought. And when that happens, those words in my head keep repeating themselves…”

“The ones Sparks said?” Twilight wondered, sitting beside the bed again. “But Luna and I destroyed that… thing she left in your head!”

“You did. Her voice isn’t the one that I heard when I… well… lost my mind.” He gave the Princess a rather pathetic smile. “I lived for a lot of years… most of my life… under her influence. It partially shaped who I am. Not something I’m that fond of, but… something I have to deal with.” He let out a sigh, lowering his hooves. “It’s especially scary when it’s my voice that’s saying what she used to say…” He looked into Twilight’s eyes, the sorrow leaving him as their gaze met. “But I promise… the way I feel about you never once gave way to it! It may have influenced how I reacted, but I never once stopped loving you! Not even a little!”

Twilight smiled, putting her hoof on his shoulder. “I believe you. But I wish there was some way I could prevent you from ‘losing your mind’...”

“Tie me down when I’m likely to get panicky?” he suggested. “Magically stop me from moving when I start to run off? Oh! I know!” He pointed a foreleg behind him. “Break my wings!” He gave a silly grin, trying to look amused by his attempt at humor. He breathed another exasperated sigh, hanging his head. “My wings hurt…”

“Well, maybe if you talked to me about these feelings before acting on them, we might be able to calm each other down and avoid losing our minds in the first place.” She told him, lifting his head with her wingtip. “So, no more running away?”

“No more running away.” He repeated. “But that doesn’t explain why my wings brought me back here.”

Twilight blushed, walking over to the door. “I’ll tell you when you get home, okay?”

Boltsinger snorted. “Fine…” he huffed, crossing his forelegs.

“Attention, guests!” a nurse called on the PA. “Visiting hours are over! Time for the patients to get some rest!”

“I’ll see you tomorrow!” Twilight said, waving a wing.

Boltsinger winced, having tried to move his wing again. He waved a foreleg back at the Princess with a pained smile. “See you tomorrow…” he replied. “And don’t let Rainbow Dash hit my wings! I know she’s mad!”

The next morning, Twilight came into the hospital once again with a saddlebag full of books. She made her way down the hall to Boltsinger’s room, from which she heard a pained yelp. Her ears perked up, recognizing the voice as she cantered to the room.

“That’s for running away!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, standing on her hind legs next to Boltsinger as his wing throbbed. “Make sure you never. Do it. Again. Or you’ll get worse than that! Got it?”

“I couldn’t go anywhere even if I wanted to!” Boltsinger informed her, still straining from the hit he’d taken. “I can’t exactly fly right now. And besides, I already learned my lesson…”

Rainbow fell back to all fours, whipping his wing with her tail as she turned to leave. “Good! I’ll see ya later!” She walked past Twilight with a grumpy pout. “He’s getting the training session from Tartaros when he gets better after what he pulled!” she grumbled to her friend as she headed out.

Twilight giggled, coming into the room. “So how is our patient today?”

Boltsinger put on a sourpuss expression. “In pain… Did she have to hit me that hard?”

Twilight rolled her eyes, sitting next to him. “Aww, poor thing. But she did have a good reason.”

“Yeah, I know. And I’m not looking forward to that training session.” He said, slightly moving the feathers on his wings.

Twilight’s head recoiled from the comment. “You heard that?”

“I can make out each instrumental and vocal part in a 50-pony symphony.” The stallion deadpanned. “Hearing Rainbow grumbling is foal’s play.”

Twilight blinked with wide eyes. “Wow.” Her face returned to normal as she lit up her horn. “Well, I brought some things to help you through your time while you’re here!” She pulled a number of books from her saddlebag, piling them on the nightstand. “I didn’t know which Daring Do book you were on, so I just brought them all!”

Boltsinger’s face lit up like the Summer Sun Celebration. “Well… I’ve been meaning to re-read the lot of them, so…” He pulled Twilight in, giving her a hug. “Thank you.”

“But that’s not all!” The mare continued, pulling out a particular lightning bolt necklace. “You left something at home when you left. I thought you might want it back.” As the two separated from their embrace, she slid the pendant back to its home hanging from the Pegasus’ neck.

He looked at his pendant, then back at her, pulling her in again for another hug. Twilight could tell from his shaky breathing that he was trying his best to keep his emotions in check. He stayed there for a few seconds as the necklaces they each wore dinged against each other, a magical spark flying between them.

“Ahem!” a mare’s voice cried out, clearing her throat and alerting the embracing ponies to her presence. “If you needed that much privacy, dears, you should have closed the… would you call them ‘curtains'? They look simply dreadful!”

Twilight and Boltsinger quickly pulled away from each other, looking at Rarity with an innocent blush. Boltsinger winced in pain, having instinctively tried to move his wing.

Rarity giggled stepping up beside the two. “You really must stop slamming into things, Bolt.” She said, putting her front hooves on the bed. “Poor Big Mac had the most difficult time putting the castle doors back up. You should apologize to him the moment you get out of here!” Boltsinger nodded, opening his mouth to speak. “And another thing!” She continued, pointing her hoof at him. “The next time you ‘take off’ like that, don’t expect to get off so easy!” She took a deep breath, placing her hoof over her heart. “All right. I’m done now. It’s wonderful to see you again. Even if it is in the hospital.”

“It’s great to see you, too, Rarity.” he told her. “I hope I didn’t make you go into a fit of stress sewing.”

“You don’t want to know just what came out of my sewing machine for the past week.” Rarity said, laughing to herself. “Let’s just say it’s not going to be featured in any of my stores.”

“That actually sounds intriguing…” Boltsinger admitted. “Any chance I could see it?”

Rarity found herself speechless. She took a close look at the stallion’s face. He was awkwardly smiling, as he normally did, and didn’t seem to be in great pain. “You… want to see it?”

“I do.” He confirmed.

“You do?” Twilight repeated.

“Indeed.” He confirmed once more.

“Well, I guess I’ll bring them over sometime…” Rarity droned, looking only slightly aghast.

For the rest of Rarity’s visit, Boltsinger went on telling them just how his week away had gone. He ended up in Dodge Junction, working for Cherry Jubilee on the separation of red and yellow cherries. Much to his surprise and delight, his story was met with a vastly similar one about when Applejack had gone there. He found himself thinking of Pinkie in an entirely new light, vowing to never, ever, break a Pinkie Promise. As stories were told, Rarity got up to leave, her boutique requiring her attention once more.

Boltsinger waved a foreleg, looking longingly at the food that the nurse brought in. Twilight smiled at him, standing so as to take leave, herself. “I’m going to have some lunch. I’ll be back later.” He nodded at her, turning to the plate before him and digging in.

As Twilight left, Rarity poked her head back in. “Is she gone?” she asked, looking back and forth.

“Eeyup.” Boltsinger answered. “So, about that new side project…” Rarity quietly squeed, rushing to his side as he told her the details. As he finished his explanation, she let out an excited laugh, bringing a pen and paper forward to work on ideas. “And don’t let Twilight know about this before I do, okay?”

“Oh, of course, dear!” she affirmed, not missing a beat. “I wouldn’t dream of spoiling the surprise!” She got up again, running out of the hospital in excited hysterics.

A few days later, Boltsinger walked up to the doors of the castle, his wings still sticking out in a cast. It looked as though nothing had happened to it, save for a big black mark surrounded by cracks in the middle of the upper heart. He chuckled to himself, pushing in to enter. He fully expected some grand party courtesy of Pinkie Pie, despite his urging to not make his hospital discharge a big deal, but the foyer was totally empty. He checked behind the pillars, tapestries, everything he could reach. Nopony was there. He breathed a sigh of relief, walking into the throne room and sitting on the floor next to the map.

“I never should have left…” He told himself, looking up at the chandelier. “I was just… so scared, so selfish, and… I wasn’t myself. Not the pony I should be, but the pony I was made by… her.” he looked at his reflection on the floor, pawing at it repeatedly. Twilight, Starlight, and Spike poked their heads inside, looking at the stallion as he returned his gaze to his favorite decoration in the room. “The pony I should be… that I want to be… is the one that lives here, with my friends. The one that can be happy with himself, even when he’s off doing whatever his wings are telling him to do. I told her that I would be able to spread friendship, but I was lying to both of us… I can’t spread friendship if I deprive myself of it, can I? My friends… and the mare that is my world… they turned me into that pony that I need to be. I just need to remember who that pony is.” he looked at his reflection once more, an awkward grin lining his muzzle. “I know… Pretty stupid, talking to an empty room… But something told me this room might listen. This is a pretty special place, after all…” He got up, putting his hoof on the map and looking at the book that was still left open there. “Thanks for always being there.”

With the contact, the map flared to life, his wings letting out jolts of electricity that reached out and struck it. He reared back, trying to break the current, but it seemed to extend as he gained distance. Twilight and Starlight gasped, rushing into the room and clamping their teeth down on the stallion’s tail in an attempt to pull him free.

“What’s going on?” Twilight wondered, pulling ever harder.

Boltsinger looked back, seeing the mares putting forth all of their effort for his sake. “I don’t know! I just… touched the map, and then this happened!” he explained, planting his hooves and pulling back further. The electricity tugged harder and harder, closing the gap between the stallion and the map in mere moments. He found himself standing in the center of the map, the lightning forming around him in ways he had never felt before. His entire body jolted to life, absorbing the power fully, creating a localized explosion of electricity. He slumped over, his Cutie Mark crackling slightly, and tiny sparks of green magic flying out of his ears only to fizzle into nothingness.

Twilight rushed over to the stallion, putting her front hooves on top of his. “Are you okay?” she asked, seeing him open his eyes.

“I… think so? I don’t really feel any different.” he replied, sitting up. “Maybe a little energized? What was the map even doing?”

“I don’t know… It’s never done that before!” the Princess stated, looking at the now-dormant table.

Starlight stepped forward, looking puzzlingly at the map and the pony atop it. “Whatever it did, the Tree of Harmony must have some reason to do it. It never does anything without a purpose.”

Boltsinger worked his way off of the map, still fixing his gaze on it. “Maybe it really did hear me…” He looked back at the mares and the dragon, narrowing his eyes. “You were eavesdropping, weren’t you?”

Starlight recoiled, shaking her head vehemently. “What?! No… That’s… That’s not what good friends do, right? We totally weren’t eavesdropping! That’d just be rude!”

“You were totally eavesdropping.” he deadpanned. Starlight brought her forelegs back to the floor, scratching her mane and laughing. “Oh! Maybe if the map did something magical...” he made a mild motion with his wing, cringing and crying out in pain. “Aww crabapples!” he glared at the map. “You make me go through all of that and you don’t even fix my wings? What kind of magic is that?” He huffed, sitting down and pouting with crossed forelegs.

Twilight laughed, turning to head out of the room. “Well, Mister Pouty-pants, I think some dinner might help your mood, some. Come on.” The stallion’s ears perked up at the mention of food, quickly rising and catching up with the mare.

“So, I noticed that you never… really even closed the book that I put the letter in.” he started as they walked to the dining room. “You know which book it is, right?”

Twilight stewed for a moment, her eyes widening with remembrance. “Isn’t it our dating book?”

“Indeed, it is.” he confirmed, swinging his hoof in front of him. “Didja happen to catch what page it was on?” Twilight shook her head. “Well, fine. Be that way.” he joked, putting on another pout. “Oh! That reminds me! What made my wings bring me back here so fast that it quite literally broke them, anyway? You said you’d tell me when I got home and…” he motioned a foreleg to the hallway they were walking through. “That is now the case.”

Twilight’s eyes stayed wide, a faint blush showing up on her cheeks. “Well, I was in the middle of a… uh… discussion. And it was about how I was feeling, and everypony talked about something, and that something turned out to be true, and the thing that they.... That Starlight said, was true, and it must have been what flung you back here!”

“And what did Starlight say?” he lead, leaning in closer.

“She said… and I agreed that…” she started, reluctant to outright say it. Boltsinger raised his eyebrows repeatedly, looking rather charming for such a goofy pony. “I need you in my life!” she blurted, her hooves rising from the ground for a moment. “There! I said it! I need you here… You’ve become such a huge part of my life, and how things go around here, that going back to how things used to be is simply unthinkable!”

Boltsinger looked at the mare with an expression of shock and awe. “Wow.” he said, turning his gaze to the floor. “Really?”

“I had one negative emotion from all of my time with you.” the Alicorn continued. “And I’d been feeling it towards that pony for some time already. Ever since I met her, there was something about her I didn’t like. But did you ever stop to think that maybe your influence on all of us has only made our lives better? Maybe your friendship, through good times and bad was something we all treasured?”

“I never really thought I did all that much.” he stated, stopping in his tracks.

Twilight put her forehead against his, resting her horn on the top of his head. “You know that’s not true. You know full well how I feel about you, and that’s not something you can make happen by ‘not doing much’. You’re a part of our lives, and we’re all here to support each other! Don’t reject that. Let us in when you need us. Okay?”

Boltsinger put his nose against hers. “Okay.” He leaned in closer, giving her a kiss and continuing down the hall. “Now, about that dinner…”

Author's Note

This chapter is... a bit everywhere all at once, but I felt it went where it should.

I do apologize if my pace at putting chapters up slows down a bit. The new Monster Hunter game is out, and it's an attention-grabber. Not to mention the new Dissidia Final Fantasy game, which I've got some interesting expectations for. I'm still putting chapters together as often as I can, though. Google Docs is a wonderful thing!

To Wing Or Not To Wing?

Author's Note

So, for some reason, this fluffy little chapter was one that I forgot to press the "publish" button for, hence the "late" release. It's chapter 49. Chapter 50 comes next, and it's a doozy!

To Wing Or Not To Wing?

A cry of pain was heard from the library. Starlight followed the cry to find Boltsinger, standing low with his wings still in their casts like he was ready to take flight. He gave a frustrated and pained groan, picking up the book at his hooves with his mouth and making for one of the ladders.

“Stupid broken wings… gotta use the stupid ladder and do the stupid climbing…” he grumbled through his teeth. He climbed up carefully, putting it in place.

Starlight walked up to the ladder under him, seeing him wobble a little. “You alright?” she asked. Boltsinger jumped, losing his balance and falling from his rung. Starlight stepped back, catching the injured stallion with her magic just before he hit the floor. “Careful, now! You don’t wanna re-break those things!”

Boltsinger crossed his forelegs as he stared at the ceiling, growling in frustration. “I hate not being able to use my wings…” he said, turning himself over to stand up.

“Well, it’s not like being able to fly is vital to doing things normally.” Starlight stated, letting him go. “You just have to be careful about it.”

Boltsinger sighed. “Have you ever seen me do something that doesn’t somehow involve my wings?” he asked, walking to the door.

Starlight followed, thinking about the question. “Now that you mention it, I haven’t.” She pointed her hoof at him. “So, not having your wings to use is pretty hard, huh?”

“It’d be like if you suddenly couldn’t use your horn.” He explained. “To most Pegasi, our wings are a pretty big part of us. Even Scootaloo, who can’t fly, still has something she does with her wings to really stand out. Full grown wings like mine are some of the most versatile parts of our bodies! You’ve seen what all I can do with mine, right?”

“You do tend to use them for that microphone thing you do.” She pointed out.

The stallion nodded, looking ahead. “Yup. It’s pretty debilitating, not being able to move them.” He groaned some more. “I just wish I could move them, darn it!”

Starlight’s expression softened considerably. “I can’t even imagine what It would be like to not have my horn... “ she told him. “Magic has always been second nature to me… To suddenly be without it would be…”

“Jarring?” the stallion finished, looking back.

“Well… Yeah.” she confirmed. “Makes me kinda jealous of Earth Ponies like Maud and Applejack.”

“I can see that.” he affirmed. “They function just fine without any of the… extra things ponies like us take for granted.”

“Plus they can break tough rocks with nothing but their hooves.” Starlight added. “That’s a pretty cool skill to have.”

Boltsinger laughed, turning to the bedroom. He waved farewell to Starlight, heading in and slumping onto the couch. “So… What can I do that doesn’t involve my wings?” he asked himself, looking at his forelegs. He stewed for a long time, humming to himself as he sat against the arm of the sofa, drumming on his belly.

“How is our patient?” a soft voice asked from the hallway. Boltsinger stopped his impromptu music, looking at the open doorway to see Fluttershy. “Are you feeling a little… humdrum?”

Boltsinger waved a hoof at her. “Hi, Fluttershy. Come on in.” the yellow mare came in and took a seat.

“How are you feeling, today?” she wondered, getting comfortable. “Twilight tells me you’ve been moody since you got home.”

The stallion huffed, crossing his forelegs. “Well, my wings hurt. And I can’t think of what I can do without them…”

“Have you tried reading a book?” she inquired. “All you need for that is your eyes!”

“And my wings to turn the page.” He added.

“Well, what about your mouth? Or your hooves?” she suggested, holding up a hoof for emphasis.

“I guess you have a point…” he admitted. “I tried reading at the hospital, but I never could get the hang of handling them.”

“Well, you have to have known how to do it at some point.” Fluttershy continued. “After all, your wings can’t have always been big enough to reach out like that.” Boltsinger let out a faint noise, confirming her suspicion. “So, how did you do things as a colt?”

“Honestly?” he started, receiving an interested nod from his friend. “It’s been so long that I don’t remember. Growing up after my Cutie Mark was kind of a blur. The lightning took hold when I was working on stuff, and certain influences took over when I was on down time. Remembering through all of that is… hard to do.”

Fluttershy thought for a moment. “I think I have an idea!” she exclaimed. She got off of the couch, trotting out of the room.

Boltsinger looked at the happy mare as she left, reaching his foreleg out at her. “You could at least tell me what your idea is!!!” He lingered for a moment, watching her disappear into the castle. After a while, he slumped over, returning to his previous attempt at activity.

Another hour passed, and another knock came at the door. Boltsinger sighed, getting up and trotting to the castle foyer. The knocking grew louder as time went on, causing some mild irritation as he opened the door.

“Howdy, Bolt!” Applejack greeted, performing a salute motion as she walked in. “You ready fer work?”

“Work?” he repeated, tilting his head. “You know I’m injured, right?”

“So ya can’t use yer wings!” she started, coming up and patting him on the back. “That never stopped me from gettin’ my chores done! Come on! Gotta earn yer pay somehow!” She pushed him out the door and strapped a wagon to him.

“Wait, what?!” He shouted, being further pushed by the farm pony.

“Yer job today is helpin’ me and Big Mac on the harvest!” She explained, jumping in the cart. “Apple haulin’ don’t need wings! So we’re gonna work on yer legs!”

Boltsinger rolled his eyes, starting the walk towards Sweet Apple Acres. “Oh boy… fun… Well, I suppose it’s better than just sitting around. Let’s do this!”

The stallion made his way to the farm, where Applejack pointed him to the orchard as soon as they saw the trees. He pulled the wagon over to the waiting siblings, several buckets of apples already full. Big Mac happily waved a hoof as Apple Bloom ran up to him. They shared a number of conversations as they worked, Boltsinger having myriad complaints about his wings and back, but still glad to be home. Applejack never had him do any bucking, but she explained the intricacies of getting the fruit to fall just right, with Apple Bloom running back and forth with a bucket balanced on her head, catching every apple that fell. Big Mac would pick up each bucket and load it into the wagon, with Boltsinger working those legs of his with every load.

“So, Bolt, I’ve been meanin’ to ask you sumthin’.” Applejack stated.

“Oh? And what would that entail?” he replied, straining to pull the wagon once more.

“Are you plannin’ some big thing again?” came the question. “Sumthin’ ya can’t tell Twilight about?”

The Pegasus’ head recoiled with a faint red to his face. “What?! What makes you think that?”

“The fact that Shining Armor came for a random visit just to go with you to Sugar Cube Corner an’ suddenly Pinkie Pie and Rarity are all excited fer some big surprise and refuse to say anythin’ about it ‘cause they think I’m gonna tell her first thing.” she deadpanned.

“Ah. That.” he said, feigning realization. “I may have a surprise planned.” he admitted. Applejack’s gaze intensified. “A big surprise.” he continued, his eyes wide. Applejack growled a little as she leaned her head closer. “Okay! Okay! A really big life changing surprise that may or may not involve the tying of certain knots and would need Pinkie and Rarity’s areas of expertise that we may also need your help with along with the distinct possibility of Fluttershy!”

Applejack’s jaw dropped. “Wait… Y’all can’t mean--”

“Eeyup.” he confirmed.

“An’ so that means you…” she started.

“For about a month before Shining Armor’s visit.” he finished.

“An’ Twilight…?”

“Cannot know.”

The mare lingered, her hoof in the air with her mouth agape. She let out a sound every now and then, trying to come up with something to say. “But…” she finally squeezed out. “But y’all have only been together fer a year!”

“And that was more than long enough.” he affirmed. “I’m in my right mind, and that mind is made up.”

“Well, then… I guess there’s nuthin’ to it but to support ya.” she said, easing up. “You’ve got a plan, right?

Boltsinger thought to himself a moment. “Actually… I have... no idea.”

The next day, the desk, blackboard, and books were all set up in the library. Twilight was making her preparations, drawing a bunch of diagrams on the board. She hummed to herself as she worked. Her teaching days were easily her favorite days of the week, and this was going to be one of the more interesting sessions. The special guest instructor was sure to make it so!

Boltsinger walked inside, sitting down as per usual. “Okay. I’m ready!” he stated, picking up the quill with his mouth.

“Oh? You can write without your wings?” Twilight teased, eyeing him from the side.

“I’ve always used my mouth for that.” he told her, accidentally dropping his quill. “Picking up a feather with other feathers doesn’t really work all that well. Either way, this is bound to hurt less than hauling apples for five hours straight.” He took his quill again, dipping it in the inkwell.

Twilight began her typical lessons, going over all of their usual topics. He wrote with an energy he hadn’t shown in past lessons, as if it was the first time in days he’d gotten any kind of real engagement out of an activity. She covered as much as she could in the time allotted. Right as the lesson reached its high point, Twilight stopped, putting her chalk down and magically closing all of the books.

“All right! Time for a new lesson!” she proclaimed, spreading her wings. “And we’ve got a special guest instructor to help!”

“New lesson?” Boltsinger repeated, tilting his head. “Special instructor? What are you talking about?”

“Fluttershy, you can come in, now!” the Princess called. Fluttershy walked in behind Boltsinger. “Today, and for a while after, the two of us will be teaching you a new subject!”

“And what subject is that?” he queried, looking between the mares.

“Home Economics!” Fluttershy announced, looking proud for a moment, but sinking her head down soon after. “At least, that’s what Twilight said it was… I just wanted to teach you how you can do things without relying so much on your wings… If that’s okay.”

Boltsinger smiled, getting up from his desk. “Well, I guess we should get this class started, huh, teacher?”

Fluttershy laughed excitedly alongside her studious friend as the two guided the stallion to a nearby book. He had been trying through the whole lesson to get to the right pages, but needed help. Twilight started the new class by showing him several simple ways she had learned to perform the task, going into a long tangent on the various techniques and how they all worked on an advanced level. Boltsinger was about to fall over from information overload when Fluttershy took his hoof in hers, then reached over, turning the page like it was nothing. He looked between her and the book, slightly in awe, then tried the same thing. To his surprise, the page turned with no trouble. He inquired on some of the finer points, Twilight taking over with much simpler explanations on things like research and finding specific things without the use of magic or wings. His face lit up with understanding, asking what else the girls had in store. From there, they made their way to the kitchen, where Fluttershy demonstrated ways he could handle everything despite not having the use of his most useful appendages. The lesson went on for hours, resulting in a hoof-made dinner made by the stallion in question.

Twilight, Starlight, Fluttershy, Boltsinger, and Spike were gathered around the table, looking at the meal the injured Pegasus had made. Spike looked at it questioningly.

“It looks… um…” the dragon began, poking it with his fork. “Green?”

“That was pretty much what I was going for.” Boltsinger affirmed. “I promise it’s at least edible.”

Fluttershy and Twilight looked at each other nervously, nodding and biting into the wobbly mass that Boltsinger created. Something about it felt interesting as they tasted it. It was squishy, wobbly, and yet delicious.

“So, how is it?” Boltsinger asked, looking hopefully at them.

“I wouldn’t call it… a ‘meal’...” Twilight replied. “It tastes fine, but… I don’t know…

“Let’s call it ‘dessert before the meal!’” Fluttershy suggested, receiving a nod from Twilight.

“Yes! That’s what I meant!” the Alicorn stated, earning a laugh from the room’s occupants.

After dinner, Boltsinger had gone into the kitchen to try and help with the dishes. Fluttershy, Twilight, and Starlight had gathered in the foyer as the Pegasus made preparations to leave.

“I can’t believe it never occurred to me how much we take something as amazing as a horn or a set of wings for granted.” Starlight told the two.

“It gets pretty bad. I’ve seen what happens when a Unicorn's horn gets broken.” Twilight added, thinking back on a previous encounter. “The lengths that she went to… It’s scary just thinking about it.”

“At least she found her place.” Fluttershy concluded. “I just can’t believe that Boltsinger thought he was so helpless without his wings.”

“You have no idea.” a deep voice called from the hall. Boltsinger emerged from the inner part of the castle, waving at the mares. “I didn’t even stop to think of anything else. Now that I’m actually doing things, it feels pretty silly.” He came up to the other two winged ponies in the room, hugging them simultaneously. “Thank you both for your help. I don’t think I would have even tried if you hadn’t encouraged me.”

Fluttershy’s face turned a light pink at the contact. She brought up a foreleg, putting it gingerly around his shoulder. “I was happy to help. And I hope your wings heal up soon.”

“I’m not in as much of a hurry anymore.” He informed her, pulling away. “Besides, learning from both of you at once was a lot of fun!” He beamed, turning quickly into a wince as he instinctively tried to flutter his wings. “I hope we can do it again soon.”

“I’d really like that.” Twilight stated, checking on the stallion’s wings. She saw nothing wrong and patted him on the back, looking over at Fluttershy. “What do you think?”

“As long as you need me, I’ll be there!” She responded confidently.

“So, what happened in the kitchen? Weren’t you helping with the dishes?” Twilight inquired.

“Spike kicked me out. I wasn’t exactly all that ‘helpful’ in there.” he admitted. Boltsinger’s face perked up in a sort of ‘aha’ moment. “Oh, and Fluttershy, before you go, I need to talk to you about something.” he put his foreleg around her, walking outside the castle as Twilight and Starlight looked on, more than a little befuddled.

“I thought he was done hiding his plans from you…” Starlight pointed out.

“Me, too…” Twilight confirmed, narrowing her eyes as Fluttershy gasped in the distance.

The Hunt of a Lifetime

On a sunny summer day, Twilight, Boltsinger, and Spike sat in the library. Twilight was doing some of her research on the stallion’s Cutie Mark, accounting what she’d witnessed and heard from other ponies into the book with his mark on the cover. Boltsinger was reading more Daring Do, while Spike read up on Dragon lore. Twilight took a glance at the stallion’s flank every now and then, just to see if anything had happened, but to no avail.

“I think I need to go with you next time your wings take you somewhere.” Twilight pointed out, moving to sit next to him. “I can’t observe the phenomenon if I’m not there when it’s happening, after all.”

“That’s easier said than done.” he told her, looking up from his book. “You would have to be touching me right when it happens. And even then, there’s still a chance you could get hurt.” He marked his book and closed it. “I don’t know if I want to risk that…”

“But it would let me get so much data on how your Cutie Mark behaves!” She pleaded, looking at him with baby-doll eyes. “For the sake of magic! For all of Equestria!”

Boltsinger looked at her. Her face was shining like Flurry when she wanted a toy. He giggled and patted her on the head. “You’re adorable when you want to make Equestria a better place through magical research, you know that?”

“So will you take me with you?” she asked.

“If we can find a way to do so without risking your life, yes.” He told her. “I don’t want what happened to my parents to happen to you.”

“Okay.” She said, closing her book.

As the ponies got up to leave, Spike’s cheeks puffed up as if he was nauseous. He brought a claw up to his mouth, beginning to heave. Twilight floated the book he was reading to a safe distance, knowing full well what was about to happen. With a loud belch, Spike spewed green flames from his mouth that formed into a scroll. He clutched it in his claws, opening it up.

“Who is it from?” the Princess wondered.

Spike looked closely at the letter. “It’s from Princess Cadence and Shining Armor!” He announced. “It says they want to plan a visit soon, and want to know if you’re free.”

Twilight took the letter from her assistant, looking it over. “Seems a bit random to want to come over… But I don’t have any plans this weekend.” She rolled the scroll up, putting it aside. “Take a letter, please.”

Twilight began dictating the letter as Boltsinger looked fondly at her. He knew why the two would suddenly decide to visit. It wasn’t so sudden from his perspective. His plans were coming to fruition, and to get it just right, he was going to need some help from the stallion that knew Twilight best. The two had been exchanging letters back and forth for a while now, and it was time to set everything up. He had an excited smile on his face as Spike breathed a burst of flame onto the scroll, causing it to turn into smoke that made its way out the nearest window.

“So they’re gonna be coming over soon?” he queried. Twilight gave a nod, turning to leave the room. “Awesome!” He got up to follow her, letting an excited laugh escape as he trotted past.

“What’s got you so happy all of a sudden?” Spike wondered, catching up with him.

“I get to see family! Why else would I be excited?” he stated. “It’s not like there’s some ulterior motive to it! Family is wonderful!” He looked back at Twilight with the barest hint of a dopey grin sliding onto his muzzle. “Yup… family…”

Days came and went, and the ponies all gathered at the train station, where the Friendship Express pulled in. Twilight had invited all of her best friends to come with them, but they all declined, saying something about having important business to attend to. She stood on an empty platform with Starlight, Spike, and Boltsinger, watching the doors slide open to reveal Shining Armor, Cadence, and a carriage. An unmistakable orange Unicorn stood behind the carriage, holding up a number of bags.

“Sunburst!” Starlight cried out, leaping over the sleeping baby and tackling her special somepony in a big hug. “I didn’t know you were coming!”

“Well, as Crystaller, I have responsibilities.” He explained, sitting up and adjusting his glasses. “And it was a good opportunity to see you, so…” He was cut off, Starlight’s hug tightening.

Shining Armor smirked back at Sunburst. “With how close you two are, it makes me wonder when the proposal is coming.” He teased.

“Proposal?!” The resident orange stallions shouted in unison.

“I dunno what you’re talking about!” Boltsinger continued, his eyes darting around as he searched for something to say. “Psssh! Proposals! That’s a long ways off!” He laughed nervously, sitting on the platform. “Uh… But, you know, you ponies seem to have this all in hoof. I have some… important business to attend to.” He spread his wings, running up and giving Twilight a kiss on the cheek. “Love you! See you later!” He shot off into the distance, heading into town.

Starlight got up, taking the load Sunburst carried. “I’ve got some things to do, soon, as well. Let’s get everypony settled in!”

Twilight followed her student, walking alongside Shining Armor. “Is it just me or does everypony seem to be acting strange today?”

Shining Armor feigned ignorance. “From what I’ve seen, everypony seems pretty normal. Isn’t Bolt always this jumpy?”

“Nowhere near that jumpy anymore. And he said the same thing all of my friends did when they told me they couldn’t be here to see you!” The Alicorn explained. “Something fishy is going on… And I’m gonna get to the bottom of it!” She flared her wings, trotting ahead to the castle whilst taking the entire load of luggage with her.

Cadence giggled as she caught up to her husband, pushing the carriage in front of her. “So, do you think she knows?”

“I think she’s probably figured it out.” He affirmed. “Bolt is pretty bad at actually keeping a secret this close to the fact. If anything, she’s at least suspicious.”

When they entered the castle, Sunburst took the parents’ luggage up to their room while Starlight disappeared entirely. Twilight, Shining Armor, and Cadence headed into the throne room, where a familiar scene awaited them.

A pocket of air floated in the air above the center of the map, with the dating book sitting at the edge, a letter used as a bookmark. “Oh, he did not do this again!” The lilac pony fumed, running over to the book and opening it. She felt a wash of relief in not seeing Boltsinger’s pendant marking the book, and took out the letter. “Pop the air pocket…” she read, “... And mind the page number?” She looked at the number of the page the letter had marked, committing it to memory. She looked at the air pocket curiously, whipping one of her wings forward and sending a small burst of wind towards the floating ball of air. It burst, sending a familiar baritone voice through the room.

“Surprise!” it started, in Boltsinger’s voice. “If you haven’t already guessed, I’ve had a bit of a plan for today. First of all, I want to tell you the reason Cadence and Shining Armor came over. It wasn’t a surprise to me, ‘cause I kinda invited them! Shining Armor told me how much you love scavenger hunts, so I decided that would be a good way to do this thing! Rather than pieces of paper for clues, there’s gonna be more air pockets at the locations you go to. But they won’t be easy to find! At each location, there will be somepony that needs your help. When you help them, they’ll guide you to your next clue. Now, here’s the first clue.” a deep breath was heard. “When in this place, please keep in mind, the seeds of love grow intertwined. In helping your friend, I do believe, the honest truth you shall receive.”

Twilight looked back at her brother and sister-in-law, eyes narrowed. “So everypony was in on this, huh?”

“Yup!” Shining Armor confirmed. “It’ll be nice to see what it’s like in the receiving end of a scavenger hunt for once!”

“And don’t worry about Flurry.” Cadence added. “Sunburst will be watching her. That’s part of the reason he came.”

Twilight’s expression shifted from suspicious to excited, thinking about what lay ahead. “Okay! Let’s go!”

“So, where do you think the clue leads?” Cadence asked. “Seeds of love grow intertwined… Where would something like that happen?”

“I think the important part is the bit about the ‘honest truth’.” Twilight suggested. “He’s talking about the most honest pony around!”

Spike jumped onto her back, raising a claw. “Applejack!” He declared. “So that means we gotta go to Sweet Apple Acres and help her!” Twilight nodded, galloping out of the castle with family following close behind.

At the farm, Twilight and company cantered up to the barn, where Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo came out to head for their clubhouse. Apple Bloom looked back at the Crusaders, noticing the Princess in the distance.

“Oh! Hi, Twilight!” she called. “Whatcha doin’ here?”

“Hi, Apple Bloom.” she replied, skidding to a halt. “Do you know where Applejack is?”

“Yeah, she’s in the barn.” the filly informed her. “She’s been fussin’ over some rope fer hours.”

“Thanks. You have a good day!” the Princess said, turning to the barn.

Shining Armor leaned up to his wife. “Since when does Applejack ever have problems with rope?”

“I don’t know…” Cadence answered. “She’s always been handy with a lasso.”

They entered the barn, where Applejack was looking long and hard at a rope on the ground. There was a parchment on the floor with diagrams on it. “Now how d’ya do this here part?” she asked herself, puzzling over the instructions before her.

“Hey, Applejack. What’s going on?” Twilight wondered, looking at the rope and parchment.

“Big Mac told me I couldn’t figure out this here knot!” she declared, raising her head to look at her friend. “I wanted to show ‘im just how wrong ‘e is, but I’ll be darned if this ain’t the toughest ropin’ I ever did see!”

“Can I help?” she offered, lifting the rope into the air.

“If you can make sense o’ this thing and tell me how ta do it, I say go right ahead!” The Earth Pony stated pointing to the diagram.

Twilight looked over the paper, seeing the final result as a knot that was so complicated it was almost spherical, woven all over. She brought her hoof to her muzzle, carefully going over the instructions. As she read them, the rope rose into the air between her and Applejack, slowly weaving its way into place at a pace that Applejack could very easily observe. When the studious pony lifted her head from the parchment, the knot was tied, and Applejack took hold of the rope.

“Wow, Twilight... “ Applejack began, looking at the rope. “You sure got that quick!”

Twilight puffed out her chest, rubbing her hoof against her pendant. “So, can you do it yourself?”

Applejack took another rope, slowly working it into the desired shape before her friend. She hung it from her foreleg, dangling it in front of Twilight. “Yeah, I think I got it.” She took both ropes and put them aside. “And now, I gotta show y’all sumthin’! Follow me!” She trotted out of the barn, heading for the orchard with her lilac-coated friend following closely.

Shining Armor turned to Cadence. “I see what they did there…”

Cadence giggled. “Tying a knot, huh? Ironic.” The two of them walked together, following the younger mares as they went.

Twilight was led far into the orchard, right to the edge of the farm, where she saw a number of pear trees growing. She had heard about this area, but never got to actually go there before. She admired the view around her, thinking on what it must have been like back when the Pears still lived in Ponyville.

“All right, we’re here!” Applejack proclaimed. Twilight, Shining Armor, and Cadence looked ahead to see something they had never imagined. Applejack had her foreleg raised in presentation, showing the group a pair of large trees grown in such a way that they twisted around one another, their branches intertwined. One of the trees was an apple tree, and the other, a pear tree. In the middle, near the top, there was an opening in the shape of a heart. Inside that opening, another pocket of air spun in place, blowing slightly at the leaves around it. “This is where my parents got married… They planted the seeds of these here trees as a special way of sealin’ their vows. We all come here sometimes just to… Well, to think about ‘em. Seein’ what they grew together. Both the trees, and their children.”

Twilight looked in awe at the vision before her. She flapped her wings, Spike jumping off of her back to join the other ponies as she flew up to the air pocket. She reached a hoof out, only slightly disturbing it as it blew out forcefully enough to blow some leaves off of the tree, and the message began.

“Congrats on finding this clue! I figured you’d figure it out without much trouble. Now for the next one! A vision of white is what you must seek, and if you help the owner, you’ll look tres chic! With the outfits she makes, you’ll never look stale, but inside this domain, there is much to unveil!”

Spike brought his claws together by his face, walking up to the landing Princess in a slight delirium. “So, we have to go and help… the most beautiful pony in the world…” he told her, swooning.

“That was a pretty obvious clue…” Twilight affirmed, tusseling Spike’s spikes with her hoof. She turned to face Applejack, giving her a heartfelt hug. “Thank you for bringing me here. It’s the most beautiful part of the farm, and that’s saying a lot!”

Applejack reciprocated the embrace, putting her hat over her heart as they separated. “You’re most welcome, Twilight. I’m happy to help!”

Twilight floated her swooning assistant back onto her back, walking over to the whispering pair that was Shining Armor and Cadence. “And what are you two whispering about?”

“Oh, nothing.” Cadence fibbed, earning a nod from her husband. “Just talking about the execution of these clues! It’s definitely something only Boltsinger can pull off!”

“Definitely.” the stallion repeated. “I can’t wait to see what’s next!” he turned to walk with Twilight, the trio making their way to the Carousel Boutique.

The bell rang at the boutique, catching Rarity’s ear. She turned to the door, seeing Twilight, her siblings, and Spike entering. “Ah! Twilight! Just the pony I wanted to see!” She turned her attention to Cadence, offering the Crystal Princess a hug. “And it’s been far too long since I’ve seen you, Princess! Could I interest you in an outfit while you’re here? I’m running a special on white gowns today!”

Cadence smiled warmly at the fashionista, accepting the embrace. “White gowns? Why are you pushing those today?”

Rarity walked over to one of the dresses on sale, coyly looking back. “No particular reason.” She put a hoof around Twilight. “Now, I was wondering if you could help me to better organize some pieces to a project I’m working on, and then maybe… model it for me?” she requested, fluttering her eyes at the Princess of Friendship.

“Of course!” Twilight exclaimed, excited at the idea of organization. “What kind of project is it?”

“Only one of the most elaborate gowns I’ve ever designed!” she told her. “Why, it may very well be my magnum opus of couture!”

“That’s a pretty tall order.” Shining Armor pointed out, following the mares.

“Yes, well, let a girl dream!” Rarity replied, leading her guests to the inspiration room. Strewn about the room were patterns and fabrics and all of the parts required for an exquisite outfit. On a stand at the edge of the room, a parchment lay with a design for a magnificent dress, featuring a starry pattern and a veil on the head of the pony wearing it, whose large wings were splayed out dramatically.

Twilight looked around the room at the pieces, getting an idea of the task at hoof. “Wow. This is going to be a big outfit…” She lifted each piece into the air in front of her, eyeing them all and arranging them according to what she had observed of the dress-making process. Before long, each piece had its own place on a table next to the stand.

Rarity lit up, taking up a position next to her sewing machine. She began her work, becoming what Twilight would describe as a paragon of efficiency. In a matter of minutes, the dress was complete, adorning a mannequin. Despite the scope of the project, it was fairly simple in its execution. The star pattern was a beautiful silver, connected in a way reminiscent of constellations along the skirt, lines of lace along the waist and hem. The front half of the dress had no back, but featured an intricate star pattern leading from the base of the neck and spreading all over with knotwork patterns connecting each of them. The hind legs had stockings that went all the way up to the haunches, ending in silver shoes that reminded Cadence of Luna's, with the same kind of shoes on the hooves of the forelegs. At the top of the gown was a silver adornment, once again bringing the other Princesses to mind. Atop the mannequin’s head was a bejeweled decoration, a veil protruding out from it and over the face.

“This is… beautiful!” Twilight declared, awestruck at the dress before her. “And you want me to model it?”

Rarity gave a solemn nod. “I need to see how it moves, and where it needs adjustment!” She stood beside the outfit, removing it from the mannequin and looking at Twilight. “Besides, I think it would look simply gorgeous on you!”

Twilight looked longingly at the gown, imagining how it would look on her. “Well, okay. I guess I’ll model it, then!” She took a place behind a nearby changing curtain, Rarity joining her.

“Excuse me, Spike…” Rarity started. “Would you mind moving ever-so-slightly… across the room? We are changing, after all!” Spike ran out from behind the curtain, hiding behind Shining Armor.

Cadence leaned into the present stallion, putting her mouth up to his ear. “That certainly looked like a fitting dress for somepony like Twilight, huh?” she whispered.

Shining Armor brought his hoof up in front of his mouth, staring intently at the curtain. “Shh… I wanna see this!” he told her, watching with a vested interest as a silver-shoed leg stepped out from behind the curtain. Twilight made her way forward, looking at her companions with her wings flared and a foreleg gingerly raised. Shining Armor’s face scrunched up, the water in his eyes welling up ever-so-slightly.

Spike came out from his spot behind Shining Armor, dropping his jaw when he saw the pony he so faithfully served. “Twilight… You look…”

“Beautiful…” Cadence finished, trotting up to her. “Rarity, you’ve really outdone yourself!”

Rarity blushed, standing between the Alicorns and gazing upon her current model. “I do believe you’re right…” She paused, really taking in the vision that was Twilight. “You truly are beautiful, darling.”

Twilight smiled, going in for a hug. “Thank you. I hope the lucky pony that gets to own this dress looks even better, though!”

Rarity let out a satisfied sigh. “Well, I’ve seen everything I need to. Let’s get you out of that… beautiful gown… and I’ll take you where you need to go.”

Twilight stepped back behind the curtain, and in a flash of magical light, the outfit was off and floating in Rarity’s telltale blue grip. She put the dress back on the mannequin, then guided her friend to the main room, where she pointed straight up. There, in the center of the room, was another air pocket, waiting patiently. Twilight shot a tiny blast of magic at it, sending the message through the room.

“I know, that last rhyme was way too easy to solve! But, to be fair, the key to the clues isn’t the same as what you’re used to. And I’m bad at riddles. Speaking of riddles, though, here’s another one! The music from nature meets music that’s not. From somepony’s perspective, that could be quite ‘hot’! In this pony’s case, she isn’t so sure. Perhaps some help from a friend is the cure?”

“Music from nature?” Twilight wondered, reflecting on the rhyme. “Fluttershy often does music for gatherings with her songbirds… But what about the ‘Music that’s not’?”

“Well, who do you know that makes music that doesn’t sound… natural?” Cadence lead.

Twilight’s eyes widened. “DJ PON-3!” She exclaimed, galloping out the door.

Fluttershy was pacing in front of a house in Ponyville’s residential area, trying to convince herself to knock on the door. “You know these ponies, Fluttershy! You can do this!” She told herself. “It’s not like we’re… performing together... “ she sat down. “... for the first time…” Her pupils shrank. “... for a really big event!!!” she brought her forelegs up, clutching her head with her hooves as her teeth began chattering.

“Fluttershy? What’s going on?” came a voice she both expected to hear and didn’t. The Pegasus looked up, seeing Cadence standing over her. Twilight stepped forward shortly after, with Shining Armor and Spike close behind. “You look scared.”

“Oh! Princess!” She began, getting back up. “It’s nothing, really… I just have a… performance… I need to prepare for, and I have to coordinate it with… well…” she pointed her hoof at the door. “... them…”

“But, Fluttershy, you know DJ PON-3 and Octavia!” Twilight pointed out. “You have for years! What’s so different about this?”

“This is going to be the first time that my songbird choir is going to perform alongside them, though!” Fluttershy stressed, spreading her forelegs. “They’re such… big-shots… in the music world… I don’t know if our styles can even mesh well! I don’t want my adorable birdies to get drowned out!”

“Are you forgetting something?” Twilight asked.

Fluttershy tilted her head, falling back to all fours. “Um… I don’t think so…”

“It was your songbirds that performed for a royal wedding!” The lilac pony continued. She pointed her wing at the other ponies present. “Their wedding! If anypony is a big-shot in the music world, it’s you, Fluttershy!”

Twilight’s words rang in Fluttershy’s ears for a moment. It was true. Her songbird choir had done several very prestigious events, at the request of Princess Celestia, even! “You’re right!” She informed her friends, a new level of confidence appearing in her eyes. “I can do this!” Twilight, Cadence, Shining Armor, and Spike let out a cheer as the Pegasus turned to the door, raising her foreleg high. She brought her hoof forward faster than anyone had ever seen and… gently tapped the door three times, almost inaudibly. She waited for half a second, then turned around and shrugged. “Well, nopony home! I guess I’ll try again another ti--”

Twilight ignited her horn, stopping her friend in place and rotating her back towards the door. She stepped forward, knocking firmly on it. She waited a few moments, seeing the latch turn and releasing her shy friend from her magical grip. The door opened, and a white-coated Unicorn mare with a blue mane that alternated from light to dark and a pair of sunglasses and headphones poked her head out, bobbing her head to a beat that only she could hear. She gasped slightly at the sight of Twilight and Fluttershy, opening the door the rest of the way.

“Oh! Hello, there!” Fluttershy nervously greeted, stepping forward. “Is this where you live? It’s... “ she looked inside, seeing the living room’s decor split down the middle according to the tastes of the residents. “... quite lovely! But I see you’re busy! I don’t want to get in the way of your important business, so I’ll just be on my wa--” As she turned to leave again, a magical force pulled at her tail. She looked back to see DJ PON-3’s horn alight, pulling her into the house. “Ah… So you were expecting me…”

Twilight laughed at the scene, looking back at her companions. “I’ll be right out.” She entered the abode, where Fluttershy and Octavia had already engaged in conversation. DJ PON-3 stepped up to Twilight and tapped her shoulder, directing her attention to a spot just above her setup, where another air pocket spun in place. She walked up to it and lowered her head, poking it with her horn. In an instant, the other sounds in the room were drowned out, the message playing.

“Didn’t expect this result, did you? The pony to help was definitely Fluttershy, but the one with the clue? That would be our favorite DJ here! So? Are you ready for your clue?” Twilight nodded. “I’m gonna guess you nodded. So… here it is… To dance in the sky is the easiest feat! But down on the floor? Not doing so sweet. Balance and poise are learned in one place! And you’re gonna love the look on her face!”

“So… Rainbow Dash is learning to… dance?” Twilight asked herself. She turned to DJ PON-3, slightly lifting her headphones. “Thank you.” She told her, heading for the exit.

Rainbow Dash was not a happy pony right now. She knew she’d have to do something for this thing Boltsinger had planned, but this was pushing it. Dancing was something she was already okay at, but that was when she was flying! On the ground, it was like she had four left feet! She grumbled a number of things to herself as the foals around her mirrored the movements of the instructor at the dance class. Before long, a knock came at the door. The instructor called out to let the students, Rainbow Dash included, rest as she opened the door.

“Oh! Princess Twilight!” The instructor greeted, her accent as thick as ever. “How lovely to see you. You here for the lessons?”

“I’m actually here to see one of your students!” Twilight corrected, walking in with Spike on her back. “Is Rainbow Dash here?”

“Twilight!” Rainbow cried out, rushing over to the Alicorn and putting her hooves on her shoulders. “You gotta get me outta here! I can’t take any more of this namby pamby dance fluff! I gotta get out and stretch my wings!!!”

“You will leave when class is over, Dashie.” the instructor interjected, putting a hoof on her back. “You, of all ponies, need to work on your skills before big party! Elsewise, you would not have been enrolled, yes?”

Rainbow’s face sank, retreating her forelegs from their contact with her friend. “I know… I just don’t like how stuffy it feels in here!”

Spike looked around the room, eyeing the foals that occupied it. “That, and you’re embarrassed to be taking a class with a bunch of foals!” he stated, soon breaking into laughter.

“Spike!” Twilight yelled, glaring at him. His laughter stopped, and he soon sat up. She turned to look at the cyan mare. “Don’t listen to him.”

“Why not? He’s right!” Rainbow affirmed.

“He is?” Twilight repeated, confused.

“I am?” Spike repeated, also confused.

“Yeah! It’s not exactly hard to see.” She led them into the room, sitting Twilight down on one side and then taking a position on the other. “Lemme show you…” She turned to a pony working a nearby phonograph. “Hit it!” The colt nodded, turning the crank as the music began to play. After the first couple measures, she started taking some tentative steps alongside a filly that stood beside her. For every ten steps the filly took, Rainbow Dash was only able to take one. Halfway through the song, she attempted to pick up her pace, stumbling around the floor. Her legs started to twist together, and she fell to her side, causing the younger pony to run for dear life as the record came to a screeching halt. Rainbow laid on the floor with a sour pout on her muzzle. “Ya see? This is what happens every time I try to dance on the ground!” She untangled her legs, working her way up into a sitting position. “And then there’s the actual students here!” She motioned a foreleg to a young orange colt with a purple mane and tail who was dancing so well and so rapidly that they could hardly see his legs, doing flips off of the wall and various other advanced steps. “How do I compete with that?!”

“I don’t think you’re supposed to.” Spike deadpanned. “It’s a class. You’re supposed to learn the stuff, not show off!”

“As crude as that was, he has a point.” Twilight added. “If you’re set on learning it, then you need to stick to it. Why are you having such a hard time learning it, anyway?”

“I don’t know! I just… keep tripping over myself!” Rainbow explained.

“Have you tried learning it your way?” the Princess suggested.

“What do you mean? This isn’t some test I have to study for! And it’s not like I can just fly around the room and wat--” her mouth hung open, thinking about her words. “That’s it! I can fly above everything and see how they do it! Then imitate that in the air where I won’t fall over!” She jumped into the air, hovering in place and looking around the room.

“There you go!” Twilight exclaimed, joining her friend. “So, is there anything you need to show me?” she got a little closer, quirking her eyebrows.

“Yeah, but after class!” Rainbow Dash confirmed. “It’s not here.”

Twilight let out a fond sigh and returned to the floor. She sat in a chair next to the door where Shining Armor and Cadence had snuck in, getting comfortable as Rainbow flew around the room. The students would all go through their routines, performing complex steps that Rainbow would look at and flail her legs in the air in an attempt to imitate. Over the course of the class, her movements went from flailing to a more refined step. At the end of the class, she went back to the floor, stepping alongside them. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a vast improvement.

“So, how was I?” Rainbow inquired, rushing up to Twilight.

“Well, it was certainly an improvement, but…” she started. Rainbow’s face showed a hint of a grimace at the last word. “Buuuut I would suggest keeping at it.”

Rainbow Dash hung her head, ears lowering. “Okay…” she lifted her head, a new determination in her eyes. “Then I’ll keep going!” She made for the exit, beckoning everypony along with her wing. “Come on, everypony! You’ve got another clue waiting!” She took off into the air, Twilight and Cadence following suit.

Twilight caught up to her Wonderbolt friend, looking at her as they flew. “So, why are you suddenly taking a dance class?”

“Rarity insists that I have to learn ‘formal’ dancing for the we--” she forced her mouth shut, catching herself on her words. “The Gala! You know, the Grand Galloping Gala!” She laughed nervously, pointing her foreleg at a spinning cloud that had a circular hole right in the middle of it. “Hey! Look! We’re here!”

Twilight’s expression brightened as she shot ahead towards the cloud. Cadence snickered a little, coming up beside Rainbow. “Almost let it slip, huh?”

Rainbow Dash crossed her forelegs, putting on a cool expression. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Cadence giggled, starting towards Twilight. “I’m sure you don’t.” She took a position next to her sister-in-law, looking at the cloud. “So, the clue is in the middle of the cloud?”

“I think so…” Twilight answered. She flew into the cloud, seeing a spinning ball of air that whipped it around from the center. “Yup! There it is!” She gave her wings a hard flap, dispersing the cloud as the bubble of noise popped.

“I told you you’d love the look on her face!” It began, laughing hysterically. “Anyway, yes. Rainbow Dash is learning to dance. Although I don’t know if that class is the one she needs for a ‘formal gathering’ like Rarity insists. But, I digress! After this, there’s only two clues left! Partially because making air pockets of this high a quality that can last this long is really hard on my wings and lungs... But mostly because you’re almost done!” A deep breath was heard. “After all this, you deserve a rest. There’s one sweet place I think is best! And while you go to have a break, have yourself a slice of cake!”

Twilight and Cadence looked at each other, smiling. “Sugar Cube Corner!”

Cakes. Cakes everywhere. Mr. Cake, Mrs. Cake, Pound Cake, Pumpkin Cake, and then there were the baked goods! Chocolate cake, lemon cake, carrot cake, fruitcake, apple cake, pear cake, spice cake, every kind of cake to ever cake on a cake! And sitting in the middle of it all was a lone pie... A Pinkie Pie. All this cake, and only one thing was missing... And the entry bell chimed, signalling their arrival.

Twilight, Spike, Cadence, and Shining Armor entered the confectionery shop, looking around at the towers of pure sweetness. Twilight’s stomach rumbled as her eyes fell on all of the baked wonders, a small amount of drool dribbling out of her open mouth.

“The Cakes have been working overtime, huh?” Shining Armor commented as he felt a rumbling of his own.

“Oh, you’re right about that one!” Mr. Cake told them. “We’ve been asked to cater for a really big event! But we don’t know what kind of cake needs to be our centerpiece, so Pinkie suggested we make samples and have somepony come in for taste testing! You all are just in time, too!”

“Just in time?” Cadence repeated. “I don’t understand…”

“Boltsinger was supposed to be our taste tester, but something came up and he had to help somepony named Sunburst with something involving mashed peas…” Mr. Cake elaborated. “But we just finished all of our baking, and we still need somepony from outside the shop to be our taste tester! Would you all like to help us?”

Spike took in the sweet sights surrounding him, then turned to look at Twilight with pleading eyes. “Can we? Please?”

Twilight smiled, rolling her eyes. “Well, we have been walking around all day… and I am pretty hungry after all of that…” she nodded, causing the little dragon to jump for joy.

The four of them sat down at the only empty table in the room, where a bouncy pink mare emerged from the floor wearing a false moustache and bow tie. She bowed curtly to the guests, placing a plate in front of each of them.

“Our first selection is a classic chocolate cake with chocolate icing!” She told them, trying her best to sound as proper as possible as she placed a multi-layered brown cake in the center. She picked up a knife and, with one swift motion, sliced the cake to be split evenly amongst the five of them. “The filling between each layer is made with a raspberry jam, with extra sugar for sweetness!”

Everyone at the table raised a fork, digging into the morsels placed before them. As always, the Cakes made the best cakes in all of Ponyville. The chocolate maintained a hint of its natural bitterness, so as to not completely overwhelm their pallets with pure sweetness. Twilight could detect a hint of some ground-up ingredient in the icing, providing some of that bitter taste, eventually giving way to the raspberry filling that washed over the bits of cake to fill her mouth with flavor. They all brought a hoof up to their faces, overjoyed by the pure confectionery art they were experiencing, and quickly gobbled up their portions. As soon as their plates were empty, Pinkie rose, fetching another cake and setting it in front of them. Each cake was just as delicious as the one before it, all of them beautifully decorated and flawlessly proportioned so as to never be too much with each slice. When the cakes were finished, the room was empty once more. The guests at the table leaned back, patting their bellies as Pinkie Pie appeared beside Twilight.

“So? Which one was your favorite?” she inquired.

Twilight sat up, looking at Pinkie quizically. “I have to choose one?” Pinkie nodded rapidly. “But they were all so good! I can’t possibly choose just one! When is this big event?”

“Well, that’s the big question.” Mr. Cake stated. “We don’t know, just yet.”

The Princess if Friendship's eyes narrowed, looking at the proprietor suspiciously. “And who is organizing it?”

Mr. Cake looked nervously at Pinkie Pie, who reeled back at the sudden gesture. Her eyes darted back and forth between Mr. Cake and Twilight, teeth chattering.

“I can’t tell you!” She shouted, retreating into a corner. “Your clue is in the party planning cave! Please don’t ask any more questions!”

Twilight recoiled from the shout, a part of her not expecting such a response from Pinkie. She relaxed a bit, letting her face go back to normal. “Okay, okay. No more questions. Let’s go get that clue!” She slowly got up, straining a bit from having a slightly engorged belly thanks to all the cake.

Pinkie Pie walked over to a cake on the counter, pressing down on the cherry on top. Twilight and company heard a mechanism crank from beneath them as they lost all semblance of footing. They fell through four trap doors onto a set of slides that converged into one, taking them down into a room full of file cabinets, balloons, streamers, and other decorations. One electric blue balloon in the center of the room was twitching erratically, as if something inside it was making it behave in an unusual manner. Pinkie came down the slide behind the group, a needle in her forelock.

“You’re gonna need this…” she said, bringing the needle forward. “It hurts to pop an innocent balloon… but the show must go on!” She raised a foreleg emphatically in her declaration, her face more serious than ever.

Twilight lit up her horn, lifting the needle from her friend’s mane and walking over to the twitchy balloon. She closed her eyes, bringing the needle forward to pierce the outer layer.

“POP!!!” The message began alongside the popping noise, pausing for a moment. “Don’t ask me how this pocket got inside a balloon. It was all Pinkie. She did her… Pinkie... thing. I’ve stopped trying to understand it. I hope you enjoyed your cake! It should give you the energy for your next location! Okay.. here we go…” Once again, a deep breath sounded from the message. “Rock. You are a rock. Shiny. You are quite shiny. Like a piece of coal that has been compressed underground under intense heat and pressure to the point of becoming one of the hardest known substances ever discovered. You are underground. And so am I.”

Twilight shook her head, trying to wrap her mind around what she had just heard. “Was that… Maud?” she queried.

Pinkie’s excitement bubbled up inside her, her smile growing wider than her muzzle would allow as steam shot out of her ears. She rocketed up from her position on the slide, spreading all of her limbs out in joy. “IT’S MAUD!!!” she confirmed, running up to Twilight and leaning against her. “Can I go with you? Please? Pleeeeeeease?” she begged, fluttering her eyelashes.

“Don’t we have to get out of here first?” Cadence asked.

“I think so…” Shining Armor agreed, looking at the slide with a confused expression. “But… how do we get out?”

The gem cave was lit up by luminescent stones of every color imaginable. Starlight Glimmer and Maud Pie walked through, hard hats equipped and ready for anything.

“Why are we looking for a diamond?” Maud wondered, dry as ever. “I could find several hundred if you really needed it. They’re not that rare.”

Starlight gave her rigid friend a soft smile. “Well, it’s not that we’re looking for a diamond, per say. I’m learning a locator spell that will help me to find gems in a way that’s not totally reliant on your skills. Twilight can help me get it down and then--”

“What’s that about a locator spell?” a familiar voice asked from deeper within the cave. Twilight, Spike, Cadence, and Shining Armor came into view as the two kept up their pace. “Are you working on the spell Rarity uses?”

Starlight jumped, a little surprised, even if Twilight’s appearance was expected. “Oh! Hi, Twilight. Yeah, I wanted to get that spell down. I was hoping to find some diamonds today, but it’s a pretty hard gem to find even with this spell.”

Maud pointed over to a nearby wall. “There’s a bunch of diamonds right over th--”

Starlight put a hoof over the Earth Pony’s mouth. “Let’s… try and find it ourselves, shall we?” Maud groaned to herself, rolling her eyes and turning to leave. She grumbled to herself as she went back to her cavern, slightly annoyed with the fact that nopony was trusting her to perform such a simple task.

“Well, okay.” Twilight stated. “So, I only know how to look for gems in general, but I’m sure we could refine it for something specific if we work at it.”

“Okay.” Starlight agreed, looking around at the cave. “So, we’re after diamonds. What are the properties we’re looking for?”

Shining Armor smirked to his wife. “Diamonds, huh? What use do they have for diamonds, I wonder?” Cadence giggled as the ponies conversed further on the properties of the precious jewel, discussing how it’s made, what differentiates it from other gems, along with many other details, lighting up their horns as they talked. Around the cave, several white lights popped up, indicating diamonds in each of the locations. Spike looked around, licking his chops as he saw the rocks lighting the area.

“Oh! Looks like we found some!” Twilight pointed out, moving towards a nearby wall. “Is this all you needed help with?”

“It was supposed to be, but… I do need your help with… one other thing.” Starlight informed her. “It’s about… well… Sunburst.”

Twilight tilted her head. “What about Sunburst?”

“Well, as you know, he and I have been seeing each other… romantically… for almost as long as you and Boltsinger have been together.” she went on, dancing around her main point. “And I go visit him all the time, and we write back and forth, but that’s been happening ever since we found each other again… But I…” Starlight looked at a gem in the wall, blasting the surrounding rock to reveal a beautiful vein of pure diamond that shone her reflection in every facet. “I don’t… see him enough. Not anymore. And… I was wondering if I could, maybe… fix that?”

“By ‘fix’, do you mean…?” the Princess began, getting a reluctant nod from her student. “Ah… Well, let’s discuss this further when we get home. I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time to talk it over.”

Starlight breathed a heavy sigh. She knew that Twilight was more interested in finishing the scavenger hunt at the moment, but at least she had listened to her. That was a good start. “Okay. The clue is this way.”

Starlight led them deep into the caverns, into a large chamber filled to the brim with naturally-growing gems. They all lit up in different colors, leading up to a small stone spire in the center of the chamber, where a pocket of air spun innocently. Twilight marveled at the room for a moment, but quickly focused her attention on the objective at hoof. From what she had heard before, this was the last clue with a rhyme in it. She knew she was nearing the end, and was excited to see just what kind of prize Boltsinger had in store. She flew up to the pocket, quickly poking it with her horn to send a wave of wind through the entire cavern.

“Congratulations, Twilight! You’ve found this clue!” heavy breathing was heard for a moment, mumbling coming from the background. “What? Flurry is what?! Oh, not again! Okay, I’ll be right there! I just gotta finish this! These pockets only last so long, after all! I’ve had to do these all day while staying ahead! All right, just keep calm and do what I told you! Okay!” the voice cleared his throat, becoming more audible once again. “So, you know how I’ve been leading you around with poems or rhymes or… Maud-poetry? Well, this last one is something a bit more my speed. Follow the clue in this song, and it’ll lead you to where you need to be.” Once more, a deep breath sounded, giving what felt like a few beats for atmosphere.

“~Leaves from the vine….

Falling so slow,

Like fragile, tiny shells

Drifting in the flow….

Little__ soldier boy…

Come marching home!

Bra__ave soldier boy…

Comes marching home…~”

Twilight lingered on the last note. The song was short and simple, but she could feel a deeper meaning behind it from some source she didn’t quite understand. She turned to her brother. “Soldier? Is he talking about you?”

“I… think so.” Shining Armor affirmed. “Something about… marching home… I think that’s where we need to be.”

“Well, then, let’s go home!” Cadence declared.

Twilight nodded in agreement, trotting past the other ponies and lifting the hungry-looking Spike onto her back. “Starlight, you coming?” she asked her pupil.

“Y-yeah… I’ll be along in a bit… Just go on ahead without me!” she stated, looking into the diamond some more. As the others all made their exit, she sighed. “I just don’t know what to do... I wanna stay at the castle with Twilight, but… Things between me and Sunburst have been so great lately… But I can’t just… Oh, I’ll explain it to her later!” she shook the idea from her head for the moment, finally turning away from the diamond and heading towards the cave exit.

The castle doors opened once more, and the sound of snoring echoed throughout. Twilight recognized it outright, considering who she slept with. But for it to be this loud, he couldn’t possibly be comfortable. She attuned her ears to the sound, following it to its source with Cadence and Shining Armor trailing close behind. She didn’t have to travel very far, as the sound grew to its peak when she approached the throne room.

There, in his usual spot on the floor between the thrones, Boltsinger lay curled up. Cuddled up next to him and nestled under his wing was a peacefully sleeping Alicorn filly. Cadence and Shining Armor smiled at the sight of their foal, the mother stepping forward and magically lifting the toddler into her foreleg.

Flurry stirred, slowly opening her eyes. “Ma-ma!” She called out, spreading her forelegs happily.

Twilight walked over to her special somepony on the floor, sitting next to him. From behind her, she heard the hoofsteps of everypony she had visited that day. The Apple Siblings, Crusaders included, Rarity, Fluttershy, their musician friends, the entire Cake family, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Maud, Sunburst, and Starlight. They all gathered around the room, encircling the map. The Princess heard them come in, but paid them no mind. She leaned in close to Boltsinger, poking his side with her hoof. “Bolt… Wake up, Bolt!”

Boltsinger’s eyes shot open. He rocketed up from his sleeping position, hitting his head on the ceiling with a distinctive ‘thud’. “What? Yes? I’m awake!” He looked around, seeing the gathering of ponies. “Oh… Right…” He slowly fluttered back down to the floor, standing in front of Twilight. “So, you’ve completed the scavenger hunt, huh?”

“Why, yes. I would say I have!” She confirmed. She tilted her head to look behind him, seeing nothing but the same book opened to the same page. “So… What’s the prize?”

“Ah! Yes! Your prize!” He repeated. “So, you made sure to remember the page that book over there was marked on, right?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes. What does that have to do with the prize?”

“Why don’t you have a look at the contents of that page?” he suggested. “And while you’re reading it, think about all of the things you did to help your friends today.”

Twilight walked past the Pegasus, floating the book in front of her face. She heard Boltsinger going over to each of the other ponies in the room, stopping at Starlight and Maud. “Chapter fifty… Tying the… Applejack had me tying a knot at the farm… When you and your special somepony have been living together for a very long time, trust each other completely, and are naturally comfortable with each other… it will have become time to take the last big step…” her eyes widened dramatically. She brought a hoof up to her muzzle as she began pondering out loud. “After we saw Applejack… Rarity needed help with… a veiled white dress… Then Fluttershy needed to talk to DJ PON-3 and Octavia about a performance for a really big event… Rainbow Dash was learning to dance at a formal gathering… And Pinkie was wanting my opinion on cake! Then underground… Starlight wanted to look for diamonds…” she returned her attention to the book. “... the last big step... “ she turned around, seeing her favorite stallion knelt before her, a glorious diamond ring in a box in his hoof, just the right size to fit snugly at the base of her horn.

“Marriage.” he finished. “So, what do you say? Want to take that last big step with me?”

Twilight looked around at the ponies in the room, all of them smiling warmly. Her eyes began watering as she looked at the orange Pegasus in front of her. Her smile kept growing bigger as she lingered on his words. “Of course…” she started, inching closer. “Of course I want to!” She leaped forward, wrapping her forelegs and wings around him tightly. “I told you I need you in my life… I’m more than ready to spend the rest of it with you!”

The two of them got up from the floor, facing each other. Boltsinger took the ring out of the box, grasping it delicately with his wing as Twilight lowered her head. He lifted the ring, placing it on the edge of her horn and gingerly parting the hair around it, sliding the jewelry all the way to the base, resting against her forehead. Everypony in the room stomped in applause, Shining Armor breaking down and gushing liquid pride from his eyes.

Twilight leaned her forehead against Boltsinger’s, sheer joy present in her eyes. “Best… prize… ever!” she told him. Boltsinger laughed, the two leaning in for a passionate kiss as the cheers echoed throughout the castle.

Author's Note

Holy words of an inappropriate nature for a children's TV show... Chapter 50... over 8,000 words, five days of writing, and one of the biggest events to happen so far... This isn't the end, of course. There's something big planned before that can happen. But to everyone who has taken time out of their day to read my little story, I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart. It's no secret that this story is pretty close to my heart, and the fact that you enjoy it, or offer advice for it, or resonate with it in any way really means a lot. I promise that I will be keeping it up, and that there will be more. Even after the "end".
Again. Thank you.

Ready Or Not

Morning in Ponyville shimmered. Some would say it downright shined. In Boltsinger’s case, he would say that it sparkled. He woke up to the sun shining into the window, stretching and yawning. The previous day was quite the adventure. He sent Twilight on a scavenger hunt, but thanks to the nature of the clues he left, he had to be a couple steps ahead of them, eventually having to return home to help Sunburst watch the tiny toddler that was Flurry Heart. At the end of it all, he finally asked the biggest question he would ever ask. He presented his special somepony with a diamond ring, and offered to spend the rest of his life with her, which she happily accepted. They were officially engaged, and he could hardly believe it.

He sat up, stroking the mane of the mare next to him as he got out of bed. “So… what’s next?”

Starlight Glimmer was wondering the same thing as she walked through the halls towards the dining room. Boltsinger wasn’t the only one with a big question boiling in the back of the mind to ask Twilight. She had at least started to ask her yesterday, but she was so into finding that clue that she glossed over it and suggested talking about it later.

“Well, it’s most certainly ‘later’...” She told herself as she descended the stairs. She could smell something delicious coming from the kitchen, immediately brightening her mood as she sat at the table.

Spike came into the room, holding a plate that had some savory-smelling breakfast essentials grouped neatly together. He placed it in the center of the table, the guests of the castle coming in to join them.

“Good morning, Starlight.” Cadence greeted, taking a seat next to her. “How are you today?”

“To be honest, I’m nervous.” The Unicorn admitted. “I know yesterday was probably the happiest day of Twilight’s life… at least so far. And I don’t know if I want to talk to her about… what I want.” She directed her gaze towards Sunburst, who was setting a jar of food in front of Flurry’s high chair. “I want to take a ‘big step', too, you know…”

“I understand. He’s been talking about it back home.” The Crystal Princess affirmed, directing her own gaze at the stallion. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so excited.”

Starlight smiled, resting her head on her hoof, then let out a sigh as Spike placed her plate in front of her. “I just need to talk to her about it.” She floated a fork, poking at her food. “I think she understands what I meant. But I don’t know. Have you ever felt like a third wheel around other ponies?” After a moment, Cadence busted out laughing, putting her foreleg against her stomach. Everypony in the room looked at her antics, confused. “Yeah, I thought it might be a silly question… I mean, you’re a Princess. Nopony has ever made you feel that way, huh?”

Cadence’s laughter died down. “No, that’s not it at all…” she stated, opening her eyes. “Starlight, do you know how close Twilight and Shining Armor were back when we were foals?” Starlight shook her head. “Those two were inseparable. I was Twilight’s foal-sitter, and Shining Armor was always doing his own thing, so I thought being with them together for the first time was going to be a real treat.” Shining Armor sat next to the mares, giving an embarrassed smile. “But half the time, it felt like they didn’t even know I was there! It wasn’t until I’d been spending time with the two of them regularly that I was able to find my place with them.”

“So even you had that issue?” Starlight wondered.

Cadence gave a curt nod. “Of course. What brought this subject on?”

“Well, I’ve spent plenty of time with both Twilight and Boltsinger, but whenever they’re together, they change a little. It’s been like that ever since they got together, and it makes me feel… left out. Especially now that I have a special somepony of my own…” she cast another glance over at Sunburst, letting out a swooning sigh. “I feel out of place here, now… And I want to spend more time with the pony I love… I’m just worried that Twilight might not be ready for me to leave…”

“Well, that’s why you’re going to talk with her, isn’t it?” the Alicorn inquired. “I’m sure she’ll understand your reasoning.” Starlight took a bite of her meal, slipping into the distraction that was breakfast as she nodded in agreement.

Boltsinger walked into the room, taking a seat at the table with a smile on his face. “Good morning, everypony.” he said with a slight yawn, looking around. “How are you doing?” He was met with general statements of good fortune, finally falling upon Starlight. “And what about you?”

“It’s nothing.” she told him, taking another bite. “I’ve just got a lot on my mind right now.”

“Okay.” he replied, his eyes filled with understanding. “Well, I was hoping to get a word in with you later, if you don’t mind.”

“I actually need to talk with you and Twilight, too.” she agreed. "It’s something… important.”

“All right. But first, I think you should spend some time with Sunburst.” he mentioned, pointing a wing at the robed Unicorn. “You don’t see him anywhere near enough.” He gathered up some breakfast, giving Spike a thankful nod and digging in.

Starlight let out a nervous laugh, trotting over to Sunburst. You’ve got that right...

Standing on the platform at the Ponyville train station. Twilight, Starlight, and Boltsinger waved as the Friendship Express left. Starlight held a somber expression, lingering on the edge as the other two ponies turned to leave.

Boltsinger looked back, motioning a wing to beckon her along. “Hey, Starlight! We’re going to the cafe. You want to join us?”

Starlight was brought out of her trance, turning to see her winged friends. “Oh! Yeah… Let’s go!” She trotted over to them, taking a spot between the two. “We still need to have our talk, after all.”

Minutes later, the three ponies sat at a table outside. Twilight had pulled out a large scroll with a quill and inkwell, jotting down various things.

“So, I know you’ve already got a lot set up, and I’m ecstatic about your choices! I couldn’t have made better ones, myself!” She started, lifting the paper up and looking at it more. “But there’s still a lot to plan for. This is an important ceremony, after all!”

“Yes, it is.” Boltsinger affirmed, gently pushing the parchment down with a foreleg. “But I think Starlight has something to say.”

Twilight lifted her head, looking between the two of them. “Oh? What do you need?”

Starlight recoiled slightly, not expecting to have the spotlight so quickly. “Um… Are you sure? Shouldn’t we… I dunno… eat first?” Twilight and Boltsinger simply looked at them with vested interest. Their smiles were genuine and their purple eyes pierced into her very being. She could hardly take just how pure they both looked. “Okay, fine! Twilight, do you remember the conversation we had yesterday in the gem cave?”

Twilight thought for a moment. “The one about fixing a problem?” she guessed.

“Yes, that.” The pink Unicorn confirmed. “Do you know what I was referring to back then?”

“Well… You said you don’t spend enough time with Sunburst,” she began, stewing some more. “and that’s what you wanted to fix… How often do you want to see him?”

Starlight took a deep breath, staring at Twilight with a serious face. “As often as you see Bolt.” she clarified, pointing at the stallion. “I want to see him every single day.”

Twilight’s eyes grew wide as she wrapped her mind around what she just heard. “Oh… I see… Well, we could have Sunburst move into the castle with us!”

“Um… Twilight, I don’t know if having him move in is really possible.” Boltsinger interjected, putting a hoof on his fiancee’s shoulder. “He’s got some pretty big responsibilities as Crystaller in the Empire…”

“He’s right…” Starlight stated, offering her own hoof. “He wouldn’t be able to move to Ponyville. I would have to… well…”

Twilight lunged towards Starlight, putting her hooves on her shoulders. “But you can’t move out! I don’t know if I’m ready for that!”

“It’s not about whether or not you’re ready!” Starlight retorted, anger building up and starting to billow out of her horn. She stood up from her seat on her hind legs, pulling her mentor’s forelegs away and gesturing to herself. “I’ve been with Sunburst for almost as long as you’ve been with Bolt, and while we do have good times together, whenever he’s not around, I always feel like the third wheel!” She panted for a moment, calming down. “It’s nothing against either of you… After all, I egged him on towards making a move for you… I just… I want to go and be with him, is all…”

Twilight’s mouth hung open as her friend sat back down. She looked at the Unicorn mare and the Pegasus stallion, getting an idea for what she was talking about. “I… I think I understand. Can I think this over for a while?”

Starlight let out a calming breath, the anger flowing back into her horn as she regained her composure. “Of course. I’m sorry I yelled at you.” She looked over at Boltsinger. “So, what was it you wanted to talk about?”

Boltsinger was in a similar daze to what Starlight had experienced earlier, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open. “Huh? What?” he started, snapping out of it. “Oh, that’s not important right now. Not after what just went down. I’ll talk to you about that later. Now where are those hay fries? I’m starving!”

Starlight walked behind the castle, coming up on a wagon that shook with activity. As she stepped up to it, the door opened, and Trixie stumbled out, her horn digging into the dirt. She pulled herself up from the ground, looking fairly disgruntled.

“Hi, Trixie.” Starlight greeted, offering a hoof to help her friend up.

“Hey, Starlight…” the illusionist responded, accepting the help.

Starlight examined her best friend’s expression. Her eyebrows were as low as they could get, and her muzzle showed a tight and distinctive frown. “What’s going on that’s got you so… mad?”

“I’m leaving Ponyville!” The blue mare declared. “Nopony in this town ever remembers any of my grrrreat and powerful feats! All they ever talk about is how I’m your friend, and that you’re Twilight’s protege!” She reached into her wagon, pulling out a jeweled pink heart medal. “Do they even care that we won medals for our own selfless heroism that nopony asked us to do?”

“I’ll admit a lot of ponies tend to forget that stuff pretty quickly.” Starlight admitted. “But, that’s something you’ll find pretty much everywhere in Equestria.” She sat on the ground next to her fellow Unicorn, wrapping a hoof around her. “Well, if it makes you feel any better… I’m probably leaving Ponyville, too.”

Surprise filled the magician’s face, her head jerking into place to gawk at her much more magical friend. “WHAT?!” she cried, using her magic to turn Starlight’s head to face her. “What do you mean? I was going to leave, but that doesn’t mean you have to! I’ll always come back to visit you!”

Starlight laughed, giving her a reassuring hoof. “Relax. It’s not because you’re leaving. I have my own reasons.” she went on to explain the situation in detail. Trixie swooned at the idea of Starlight going to live happily ever after with Sunburst, then made a face like she was going to be sick upon hearing the news of the recent engagement.

“So, you’d be living in the Crystal Empire, then?” Trixie inquired. Starlight gave a nod, looking up at the clouds. “Well, then, I know where my new home base is going to be!” She dove into her wagon, reappearing in her hat and cape. “Those Crystal Ponies won’t know what hit them! The grrrrreat and powerful TRIXIE is on her way!!!”

Starlight smiled, giving Trixie a surprise hug before turning to leave. “Thanks, Trix. I’ll see you later.”

She rounded the perimeter of the castle’s roots, opening the door and making her way into the foyer. The structure lit up with her hoofsteps, as if it was happy to see her. She felt a distinct warmth as she looked around. No other place had made her feel so welcome.

This place has been my home for a long time, now… she thought. I’m really going to miss it. But I have another home, now, too, and I really want to be there! Besides, it’s not like I’ll never see this place again! She headed up the stairs, making for the hallway towards her room. But, that’s if a certain somepony is willing to let me go at all... As Starlight stepped into her room, distracted by her own thoughts, she felt a body bump into her. She stopped for a moment, looking ahead to see just what was going on.

Standing in a much emptier than before bedroom, was Twilight. She had a sorrowful yet understanding look on her face as Boltsinger took a box from atop the bed and placed it next to several others that had a bunch of kites leaning against them. Twilight stepped closer to her protege, taking a deep breath.

“Starlight…” she began, still sounding uncertain. “I’ve decided to go along with your plans to…” she somberly closed her eyes as she paused. “... leave…” She opened her eyes with a renewed vigor, looking intently on the pony she was most proud of. “You were right. It’s not about whether or not I’m ready for you to leave. You’ve already made up your mind, which means you’re ready. I’ve come up with every excuse I can think of to get you to stay, or to convince myself that the worst would happen… But none of that is up to me…”

Boltsinger nodded as he moved the next box. “She really did. I swear I heard at least fifty worst-case scenarios through it all!”

Twilight stepped ever-closer to Starlight. “I just… don’t want my friend to leave me behind…”

Starlight’s entire being warmed at the Princess’ words. She leaned in close and pulled Twilight in for a hug. “I could never leave you behind!” She stated, pulling back slightly. “If anything, I’m the one that has some catching up to do!” She pointed her hoof at the stallion in the room. “Twilight, you’re engaged! Getting married! You have so much of life’s wonders ahead of you, and a special partner to share them with! You don’t need some third wheel around, getting in your way. Especially when that wheel fits so perfectly on another wagon.”

Twilight gave her a soft smile, directing her eyes to the ring still sitting at the base of her horn. She thought fondly on what her friend had said, looking puzzlingly back at the mare. “You felt like a third wheel with us?” she asked. Starlight gave a sheepish nod of confirmation. “I’m sorry! We never thought of you that way, I promise!”

“After all, how can my Best Mare possibly be the third wheel in our friendship?” Boltsinger added, coming up and putting a wing around each of them. Twilight and Starlight took on mirrored versions of the same wide-eyed shock as they slowly turned their heads to face the slyly smirking stallion.

“You want me to…” Starlight started, pointing to herself.

“You want her to…” Twilight mirrored, pointing to Starlight.

“... be your BEST MARE?!?!” They finished in unison, shaking the room a bit.

“Well, who else would I pick?” he reasoned, shrugging. “We were able to openly talk about our individual romantic scenarios from a perspective of common ground.” He turned his gaze to Twilight. “She always egged me on to connect with you, and I kinda did the same for her and Sunburst.” He moved to face Starlight. “You’re always good for some calm advice and are great to hang out with. Plus I’ve always had your support! I can’t think of a single pony better suited for the role!”

Twilight let out a gleeful giggle, hugging her student once again. “Neither can I!” She declared. “So you’d better come back to visit often, okay?”

Starlight gave her royal friend a confident smile. “Of course!”

The Painful Truth

Boltsinger flew through a bright blue sky, pure white clouds all around him. He took in the feeling of freedom that the sky offered, reveling in it. He performed twists, flips, and various other maneuvers, better than ever before as he flew through the clouds. He descended rapidly, his foalhood home in Vanhoover quickly coming into view. He skidded to a halt above the place, shocked, as storm clouds began to form around him.

“Son…” a deep voice called out from behind him. “How could you, son...?”

Boltsinger turned around, seeing a yellow stallion with a blue mane and tail and a Cutie Mark of three swirling clouds. “Dad…? What are you… How are you…? Brightling said you were gone… Did you wake up?”

“Boltsinger…” another voice said, flying up from below to reveal an orange mare with a brown mane and tail and a gusty Cutie Mark. “Why did you do it…?”

Boltsinger shivered in place, descending slowly as he looked at the mare. “Mom, I… don’t understand… What are you talking about?”

Lightning struck behind the two Pegasi, Their coats fading and eyes glowing white. Boltsinger landed on the ground below, his parents hovering above them without even moving their wings. “How could you do this to us?!” they shouted. Boltsinger’s wings began discharging electricity that spread all around him. “How could you DO THIS TO US?!?!” they continued.

“I don’t understand…” he repeated, hiding under his crackling wings. The images of his parents loomed ever-closer, covering his field of vision with more black silhouettes. The discharge grew in magnitude, extending out of him and striking everypony in a ten foot radius. He spread his wings and forelegs, standing on his hind legs and letting out a yell that pierced the clouds and resonated for miles. He didn’t know just how long he screamed, only that it felt like forever.

Forever came to an end, and Boltsinger sat up in bed in a cold sweat. He hyperventilated, clutching his head with his hooves. His eyes darted around the room, the familiar sights calming him down. “What was that…?” he asked himself, scooting to the edge of the bed. “Mom… Dad...“

Twilight stirred, seeing the Pegasus leaning forward. She reached out and touched his tail with her hoof, causing him to look back. “Hey… You okay?”

The stallion gave a reluctant nod. “Yeah… I’m fine... “ He got out of bed, turning to face her. “I just… had a bad dream.” He put his hoof on hers. “I’ll be okay. I’m just gonna go get some air.”

“Okay… Don’t be gone too long.” she told him, yawning. “You can tell me all about it in the morning…”

“Yeah… I promise I’ll tell you everything…” he agreed, making for the door as she rolled back over.

Boltsinger came through the Everfree Forest, traveling along a well-known path. The place felt unnatural, especially traveling at night, but he had to brave it in order to reach his destination. Before long, he came upon a hut made from a hollowed out tree. There were a number of masks and ornaments all over, and a warm green glow coming from the windows. He took a deep breath, slapping his muzzle with his wings as he knocked on the door.

“Yes, yes, that you’re here, I’m aware!” a thickly accented voice called out. “Just what in Equestria are you doing out there?”

With the sound of hooves scrambling to the door, Boltsinger took a step back. The door opened to reveal a Zebra with an ornate black Sun pattern emblazoned on her flank. She wore a cacophony of gold rings around her neck and left foreleg, with thick golden hoop earrings. Boltsinger lowered his head a little as she looked quizzically at him. “Hi, Zecora…”

The Zebra smiled, stepping aside to let him in. “Why, Boltsinger, you’ve stepped out of your rut! May I ask what brought you to my hut?”

The stallion stepped inside, sitting by the cauldron. “Cryptic nightmares.” he informed her, taking a look around. “What has you up so late?”

Zecora moved over to a table full of bottles and ingredients. “I often stay up late into the night, it helps me get some of my mixtures just right! These nightmares you have, just what do you see? And why, pray tell, would you bring them to me?”

“I know dreams are more Princess Luna’s domain, but… I want to see what you make of it, too.” he explained. He went on to tell her every detail he could remember about the nightmare, leading the potion-maker to puzzle on the goings on.

“I believe this is something over which you can’t gloss,” she started, pouring a tincture into an ornate bottle. “It is clear to me you have suffered a loss.” She corked the bottle, placing it on a table and beckoned him over. “For now, I suggest that you drink this blend. It will help, but the nightmares will not likely end.”

Boltsinger slid the bottle over to himself with a wing, feeling a degree of warmth coming from within. “Thanks… What does it do, anyway?”

Zecora poured herself some tea, giving the stallion a sly grin. “If I were to tell you the effect of this brew, its magic would no longer apply to you. Should you be wise and listen to me, you’ll soon realize that trust is the key.” she placed two cups on the table in front of him, stacked and ready to go. “Share this drink with one for whom you care, and the fruit that you seek will soon come to bear.”

“Fruit that I seek?” he repeated, scratching his chin with his wing. “I take it that’s some kind of metaphor?” Zecora silently nodded, sipping her tea. “Okay. I’ll give this a shot in the morning.” he quickly got up, tucking the bottle and cups under his wings. “Thanks, Zecora. As always, you know just what to… um… rhyme!” He waved farewell and cantered out the door as the Zebra stared into her cup.

“Dear Bolt, no magic can truly help you. You’ll only find sweet berry tea in that brew.” She said as the Pegasus left earshot. “To calm your mind, you may find it uncouth, but the loss you have seen must be faced as the truth.”

Hoofsteps clopped through the foyer the very next morning, slow and steady, the stallion who owned them breathing with a rhythm that matched his pace. He held his wing forward, looking at the still-warm bottle he received from Zecora as he rounded a corner, heading for the dining room where Twilight sat, eating a bowl of oats.

The sound of the door brought Twilight from her bowl. She raised her head, looking at Boltsinger with a face covered in oats and plastered with a smile. “You’re home! How was your walk?”

Boltsinger marveled at just how adorable his fiance was in that moment, shaking his head free of the trappings of his mind, he sat down at the table. “It was less of a ‘walk’ and more of a ‘visit to Zecora’s place’.” he clarified, setting the cups and bottle between the two of them. “She gave me this, and told me to share it with ‘one for whom I care’. I can’t think of a better example of that than you.”

“What did you need a remedy for?” the Princess wondered, wiping the food off of her muzzle.

“That bad dream I had… I saw… my parents.” he explained, uncorking the bottle and pouring the tincture into the cups. “They were asking… why I did something. How I could have done it. I didn’t really understand what they meant by it, and then lightning came out of my wings and hit them… then I screamed and… Well, that’s where I woke up. When I told Zecora about it, she made this, told me I’d suffered a loss, and to share it with you.” He picked up his cup with his wing, raising it. “So, bottom’s up?”

Twilight nodded, raising her cup with her magic. They brought the beverages together, downing them with a single gulp. Twilight set hers down on the table, leaning against the table on her forelegs. “I think I see where she’s coming from… You never really had a chance to deal with your parents’ passing, after all.”

Boltsinger looked wide-eyed at the Alicorn, a mixture of confusion and shock forming on his face. “What do you mean, passing?” he queried, putting his cup down.

Twilight’s face began to mirror that of the Pegasus next to her. “Oh my gosh… You didn’t know? But, at the Gala, Brightling told you that your parents are gone! Didn’t you hear him?”

Boltsinger took deep, staggering breaths. “I-I-I was… I was being beaten within an inch of my life! My-my ears were ringing from the pain! I couldn’t make out any words!” His breathing quickened. “How do you know they’re really gone gone?”

“Grand Pear said they passed not long before he moved back to Ponyville…” she answered, looking at the floor. “I thought you knew… I’m so sorry!”

“So… I…” his hooves fell to the floor below, his pupils shrunken and shaking as he stared at his reflection. “... I killed them…” his wings came up to grasp the sides of his head. He began rambling in bouts of frantic gibberish, occasionally repeating about how they suffered, how he killed them, how it was all his fault.

Twilight looked at his panic with a heavy heart, listening to him going on as tears trickled down his muzzle and onto the floor below. She raised her head, gaining a look of determination. “Bolt!” she cried out, spreading her wings as wide as they could go. “SNAP OUT OF IT!!!” she brought her wings together on his tear-stricken muzzle with a force she didn’t even know she was capable of. The impact resonated through the halls, a breeze following it that blew in all directions. Boltsinger’s eyes stopped shaking as he lifted his head, looking into the mare’s eyes. “You didn’t do anything to them!”

“B-but… the lightning… i-it came out of me... “ he retorted, still in shock. “From my wings…”

“You didn’t have any control over that!” she argued, bringing her head close to his. “Magic behaves in ways we don’t expect when we haven’t learned to control it… That doesn’t mean that we have direct responsibility over such a huge backlash like that!”

“But… I always hoped that maybe... “ he continued, his face sinking some. “... maybe… maybe someday, they might… wake up… then... Then they’d forgive me… but…” he sniffed up a sob, falling closer to the floor. “But now… now they won’t... “ his staggered breathing continued as the hardness of Twilight’s expression melted away. She put her forelegs around his head and held him close with her wings.

“I’m so sorry… You talked about not wanting what happened to them to happen to me, I just naturally assumed you knew...” she started, her own eyes watering as she stroked his mane. “I didn’t want you to feel this way...” She clutched him ever tighter as his cries continued, matching his pace with quiet sobs of her own. They continued for several minutes until the sound died down, the stallion’s head slowly rising.

“Thank you…” he told her, rising up and looking her in the eye. “I’m gonna… gonna go to the farm… I need to talk to a Pear about some ponies.”

“I’ll go with you.” the Alicorn replied, standing up. “I promise I won’t get in the way… I just want to be there with you..” Boltsinger nodded, standing up and walking out with his favorite mare following suit.

A knock came at the door at the main house of Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack got up from her place at the breakfast table, heading to the door and opening it. There stood Twilight and Boltsinger, smiling weakly with puffy red eyes.

“Well, good mornin’!” she greeted, beckoning them inside. “Y’all look like ya just got stung in the eyes by a swarm o’ flyders! Everythin’ okay?”

Boltsinger breathed a heavy sigh. “Define ‘okay’.” He lowered his head slightly, thinking hard on the task at hoof.

Applejack's mouth hung open as she saw the sobering expression that formed on her friend’s face. She turned to look at Twilight, who had a weak smile plastered on. “Is he okay? I know ‘e gets depressed, but I ain’t never seen ‘im quite like... well, like this.”

Twilight shook her head, not averting her gaze from the somber stallion for a moment. “He just went from having nightmares about his parents to having all of his fears about them come to life before his eyes…” She looked at Applejack, her smile shattering. “And, of course, he blamed himself…”

Applejack thought of a few things to add to the conversation, but previous experiences let her know that this was a good time to be a little more like Big Mac, and not say too much. “So, why’d ‘e come here?” she wondered as he went into the hall.

“He said he needed to ‘talk to a Pear about some ponies’.” The Princess stated. The two mares followed the orange Pegasus, staying at a respectable distance as he rounded the corner into the living room. He took a seat on the couch as Twilight and Applejack sat on either side of the doorway.

Boltsinger looked around, still thinking on what exactly he wanted to say. He’d interacted with Grand Pear a few times since coming to Ponyville, but they never really talked about anypony back in Vanhoover. This was going to be a whole new kind of scary.

After a few stewing minutes, the Pear in question descended the stairs, looking around the room. “Oh, Boltsinger!” He started, taking a seat in a nearby rocking chair. “How’re you doing, m’boy?”

Boltsinger’s heavy sigh made a return as he lifted his head to look at the elderly stallion. Grand Pear cringed a little at the sight, getting a hint of what was coming. “Hi, Grand Pear… Can I talk to you about something?”

“This is about Vanhoover, isn’t it?” he asked. Boltsinger nodded weakly. “Alright, whaddaya need to know?”

“It’s… um… it’s about my mom and dad.” he explained, his breathing growing heavier. “I hear that you know just what happened to them…”

Grand Pear nodded, leaning closer. “That’s right. It was in the paper. I checked in on them every now and then for a while before they passed. They were some of my best local customers.”

“Thank you for being there for them…” the Pegasus said. “So… um… Would it be okay if I asked… How did they go?” he looked at his forelegs, pawing the couch below him as he brought his wings around his forelegs. “Did they suffer? Did I cause them any pain?”

The old farm pony got up from his chair, walked over to the young stallion, and put his hooves on his shoulders. “Bolt, you know it wasn’t your fault, right?”

“That’s what Twilight said.” he affirmed. “But the lightning literally came out of my body… even if I didn’t have control, I still feel responsible…”

The old horse sighed, proceeding to lift Boltsinger’s head and look him dead in the eyes. “They never once suffered from what happened.” he told him. “They went peacefully, and I’m certain they didn’t begrudge you. You’re their son. And they were some fine parents. They would never have blamed you for what happened.”

Applejack poked her head into view, coming in from the hallway holding her hat close to her heart. “He’s right, Bolt. There’s nuthin’ you coulda done to stop what happened. You know it, we know it, and…” She put her hat back on, looking straight up. “I’m pretty sure they know it, too.”

Boltsinger smiled at the Earth Ponies, slowly getting up with a gentle nod. “Yeah… I think you’re right…” He started to walk, heading for the exit. “Thank you…”

Twilight looked at him in silence as he walked. His steps were calm, slow, and steady, and his head was raised a little higher than before. She trotted over to him, matching his pace. I wish I knew what to say… How was that potion supposed to have helped? All that happened was… well, this! She reached her wing over to him, placing it gently on his back with a few feathers resting on his Cutie Mark.

At the sudden contact, Boltsinger raised his head further, looking over at the Princess. He put on a weak smile, stifling one last stray tear. “Did you hear?” he began through staggered breaths. “They didn’t suffer!” He walked closer to her, raising his wing and pressing his side against hers. “They didn’t suffer…!”

“I heard…” she confirmed, gently squeezing with her wing as he returned the gesture. They walked back to the castle quietly, where Twilight sat her grieving fiance down in the dining room. She headed into the kitchen, floating the bottle from Zecora with her. She peeked inside the bottle, trying to detect a hint of the magic inside. I don’t feel anything… she pondered, putting her nose to the lip. She took a few inquisitive sniffs, recoiling her head slightly as the smell of berries and tea leaves wafted into her nostrils. Is this… just ordinary tea? She put the bottle and cups on the counter, going to pour a bowlful of oats and bringing it back to the dining room. Boltsinger was still sitting there, laying his head on the table. “How are you feeling?” she asked him, placing the food in front of him.

Boltsinger snorted, raising his head and looking at the bowl. “Honestly, a little better... “ He admitted. “I’m glad I talked with everypony about this… Way better than just flying away, huh?”

“Yeah, I didn’t have to chase after you this time.” Twilight joked, nudging him in the side. “I’m sorry you had to find out this way…”

“It’s all right.” he replied, taking a bite and quickly swallowing. “That potion really did its work, huh?”

“Potion?” she repeated, tilting her head. She puzzled for half a second, remembering the bottle she just recently investigated. “Oh! Yeah, the potion. It sure did.”

Author's Note

This stemmed from the fact that no one had actually talked with Bolt about what happened to his parents so far. He always knew something happened to them, but he was rather ignorant of the greater situation. I knew I had to have him confront this truth, and neurotic Bolt was more than likely to blame himself and think the worst. It didn't go 100% how I imagined it, but these chapters rarely do, and always come out a bit better anyway.
For some reason, though, I was really dreading writing for Zecora. But, as it turns out, I was able to draw upon some of my own poetry experience from about half my life ago to get her manner of speaking down pretty quickly. Good thing, too. I have some plans that are going to require her.

Dimming The Lights

The morning in Vanhoover was a dingy grey. An overnight rainstorm had been scheduled, and it left the morning air a little too thick for the liking of the mare waking up. Her coat was roughly the same color as the current sky, with an upturned nose, emerald green eyes, and a deliberately messed up mane that colored from white to black as it made its way from her head and neck. She was annoyed by the sight of the clouds, but went on with her morning regardless. Now if only she could find that husband of hers.

“Brightling!” she called out, walking into the hallway. “Where are you?!” She searched through the house, finding no sign of the yellow pony anywhere. “Let me guess… at the farm again?” She groaned, heading for the kitchen and making a simple breakfast. As she finished her meal, the front door opened. “Finally! Where have you been?”

“Oh, good morning, Sparks.” the yellow stallion replied. His coat seemed brighter than she was used to as he gave her a kiss on the cheek, sitting at the table with her. "I was having breakfast with Sweet. We were going over some ideas for the farm so they can improve things around there.”

“How much is it getting you?” the mare wondered, resting her head on her hoof.

Brightling laughed at the question like it was a joke. “It’s getting the farm working. Plus it was good to see a friend.”

Sparks’ face soured, getting up and pouring herself a cup of tea. “I see… So how is work going?”

Brightling puffed out his chest, putting his wing-fists at his sides. “I made manager by streamlining things at the store!”

Sparks examined her husband, noticing something different about him. “When did you get so… bright, Brightling?”

“I don’t know…” he started, puzzling for a bit. “It probably started after I met those fillies from Ponyville. Why?”

The Unicorn scowled. “Ponyville, huh?” she spat. “And why did we get visitors from Ponyville?” The stallion leaned against the table, telling her about the time he met the Cutie Mark Crusaders and the Earth Pony named Big Mac. Sparks’ eyes narrowed as the details entered her comprehension. “So they just nobly came to town just to tell you how to live your life? They just showed up out of nowhere to say ‘your Cutie Mark is broken, now here’s how you fix it’? That sounds preposterous!”

Brightling facehoofed. “Just how aware are you of current events, dear? You’ve been to the Castle of Friendship and seen the map! You can’t deny that the magic is real!”

“I’m perfectly aware of current events, darling.” she sneered, slamming her hoof on the table. “But that doesn’t make it any less ridiculous. Ponyville is a backwater town where all anypony does is try to make friends and do pointless things with them! And those mares that your so-called brother likes so much are the worst of the bunch!”

“Well, you don’t have to like them.” he informed her, standing up. “But you can’t just deny that they do what they do. You’re a Unicorn. It’s impossible for you to deny magic.” he walked to the front door, opening it again. “I’m going to go to work. We can talk about this more when I get home, okay?”

Sparks entered the living room, opening her mouth to speak as the slamming door stifled her. She stood there in silence, utterly befuddled. “He didn’t listen to me… How could he not have listened to me? He’s mine!” She scoffed, floating her saddlebag over and beginning to fill it with essentials. She opened a nearby book, looking at it intently. The page showed an image of an amulet that featured a diamond-shaped gem with a sinister Alicorn motif. “My talents have been failing too much lately… Can’t have that happen… But...Mother always told me that drastic measures need to be taken sometimes…” She closed the book and stuffed it into her bag, walking out the door in her slow but deliberate steps.

Sparks made her way through her least favorite town. She tracked down a merchant who had sold the item she sought to some blue mare that took it to Ponyville. She looked around the town, showing the image from the book to everypony she passed. One name kept popping up. Some Zebra that went by the name of Zecora was supposed to have kept it hidden.

“I guess I’ll be paying this ‘Zecora’ a visit... “ She told herself as she passed some familiar mares. As she continued down the road, she felt a glare coming from behind. She decided to pay it no mind. Alicorn or not, that pony wasn’t worth the effort. Besides, once she got what she wanted, not even Princess Celestia would be able to say no to her.

She came upon a hut in the depths of the Everfree Forest, smiling at how quaint and simple it looked. She knocked on the door, her slow rhythm permeating the abode. “Yes? Who comes knocking this hour?” a deep accented voice began. The door opened to reveal the Zebra in question. “And what in Equestria has you looking so sour?”

Sparks sauntered past her, looking around the strange room. “You’re this… Zecora… that the ponies in town talk about, yes?”

Zecora walked over to her cauldron, facing the intruding Unicorn. “I believe that fact is obvious to see. But what business has you looking for me?”

“It’s quite simple. There’s something you have that I want. And I’m here to get it. She floated the book in front of Zecora’s muzzle, showing her the image. “How much do you want for it?”

Zecora pushed the book away, looking sternly at her guest. “If you know it’s with me, then you’ve heard the tale.” She closed the book, taking it and holding it out to the mare. “It should be clear that it’s not for sale!”

Sparks knocked the book to the floor, stepping forward. “Price is no object, you know. I’ll pay as many bits as you want! Just name your price!”

Zecora stood firm, looming over the grey pony. “Money is not a thing that I need, and perhaps you could do to forget your greed.” She pointed her hoof at the door, directing her attention outside. “If you want power, you won’t find it here! Now please, leave, in case I’m not clear!”

The Unicorn growled angrily, bringing her forehead up against the Zebra's. “I’ve had just about enough of your insufferable rhymes!” Her eyes glowed a pale green as her horn went alight. “I’m going to ask you one more time… Where is the Alicorn Amulet?!”

Zecora recoiled as Sparks’ magic extended out if her horn, touching the middle of her forehead. A voice began playing in the back of her mind. It repeatedly told her awful things, ordering her to surrender herself. She tried desperately to avoid the stinging words, but was quickly brought low. Her mind went numb as her mouth hung open. “Yes…” she started. “I will take you to it…”

The Castle of Friendship rumbled for a solid minute, shaking Twilight out of her chair and onto the floor as her flank began to glow. She shot up, looking around to see the telltale sign of the calling map, following the floating image of her Cutie Mark to the throne room. Her jaw dropped as her Cutie Mark was swiftly joined by five others just east of Ponyville.

“TWILIGHT!” five voices called as the front door swung open. Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash all galloped into the room, their own Cutie Marks flashing.

“Where is the map sending us?” Rainbow Dash asked, hunching over and ready to fly. The Castle shook again as the image on the map changed. In place of the whole of Equestria, the Tree of Harmony stood before them, a red aura surrounding it.

Fluttershy jumped, hiding behind Applejack. “What does that mean…?”

Twilight took a hard look at the tree, making note of the power surrounding it. “I think it means the Tree of Harmony is in danger!” She declared, turning towards the door. “Come on, girls, let’s go!”

Pinkie, Rarity, Rainbow, and Applejack looked at the embodiment of Magic, nodding confidently. “Right!” They simultaneously confirmed, galloping off.

Fluttershy cowered my the map, watching her friend's take off. “I’ll just… wait here for everypony! Good luck saving the Tree of Harmony!” She put her head on the floor, covering it with her forelegs as Rainbow Dash came back in, pulling her out by the tail.

Sparks stood in a cave below the Castle of the Two Sisters, a dark smile on her face as her horn showed a red magical field. She laughed to herself as she looked at the looming crystalline tree before her. Before she put this amazing new amulet on, she was content to just leave town and bring her husband back to his senses. But now. Now that she knew what this power was like, she had bigger plans. Brightling asked if she knew about this magic, and she laughed as she thought back on his question. The mares she saw in the stained glass in Canterlot were all representatives of an Element of Harmony, and she wasn’t one of the sheeply masses. She knew where the Elements resided. If she were to mess with the Elements, she could bring those ponies under her hoof. Perhaps even all of Equestria! She was certain that her way of thinking was the correct one, and now she was ready to show that truth to everypony, whether they liked it or not! She continued her work, imagining the days ahead as black vines began to grow around the tree. The jewels situated in various locations on the branches fell out, clinking together at her hooves. She looked on them with contempt, kicking the magenta Element of Magic away.

“No! It can’t be!” a surprised voice called from behind. “Dimming Sparks! I knew I should have stopped you in town!”

Sparks turned around, seeing Twilight and her friends gathered before her. They had fierce scowls on their muzzles, Rainbow Dash hunched over as if making ready to break into a charge. “Ah, hello, my little ponies…” she callously greeted, “I was wondering if you all would catch onto what’s going on here.”

“Why are you attacking the Tree of Harmony?!” Twilight demanded. “What did it ever do to you? And why do you have that amulet?!”

“It’s connected to all of you, isn’t it?” the darkened mare lead, the black vines growing along the walls of the cave. “You all turned my husband against me! Took away my influence! This is just payback!” She glared at the Princess, extra magic swirling around her horn.

“Everypony, watch out!” The Princess cried, igniting her own horn to lift the Elements from their spot on the cave floor and bring them to their respective owners. As the jewels made contact with their bearers, glorious golden necklaces formed to hold them in place, a golden crown appearing atop Twilight’s head to house her Element. The Alicorn redirected her magic, creating a barrier in front of her as the swirling red magic around Sparks’ horn loosed six simultaneous bolts of energy, each one headed for one of the ponies in front of her.

Rainbow Dash flew past the oncoming bolt, skidding to a halt beside Sparks and snorting angrily. She dragged her hoof along the floor, wings flared, and charged. At the same time, Applejack made a mighty leap over the bolt heading for her, galloping as fast as her legs could take her in her own charge at the mare. Rarity and Fluttershy each dove behind Twilight, who expanded her shield to cover the two, while Pinkie playfully bounced over the attack, landing with a face of mock ferocity as she joined the other two in their charge.

Sparks cast her gaze between the approaching ponies, smirking as a large red shield formed around her, expanding outward to force them back, magical bolts extending out of her horn and into the foreheads of her immobile assailants. The Earth Ponies and the Pegasus fell limp, slumping over onto the ground. Twilight’s eyes widened as the aftermath of the attack cleared, quickly shifting her face to one of anger as Sparks’ eyes began to glow red with fiery magic erupting from them.

Twilight looked back at Rarity and Fluttershy. “The amulet is giving her power, but it’s warping her mind even further! Be careful!” She dispelled her shield, charging up as much magic as she could muster to launch at the mare. She lowered her head, pointing her horn at the witch, and discharged. From her horn erupted a stream of magical energy that shined in white along with her usual magenta. Sparks smirked, putting up another shield around herself and sauntering forward. “Why is keeping such a horrible influence so important to you?” Twilight asked, straining to keep up her attack.

“If you knew the truth of this world like my mother did, you would know to keep as much influence as you can get!” The Unicorn started, taking her sweet time walking through the beam.

“Your mother? What kind of pony was she?” the Princess wondered, ceasing her spell.

“My mother was the wisest pony there ever was. Others say that she changed when she got out of the hospital, but I believe it was for the better.” She continued, keeping her pace. “They say she used to spread joy somehow, but when I knew her, she taught me all I needed to know about the world… Everypony for herself, the reason others even attempt to be ‘friendly’... How the only thing that matters is to satisfy our own needs!”

Twilight looked at her foe, who looked down at her with utter disdain. “It sounds to me like your mother was replaced by a Changeling. They survived back then by disguising themselves as somepony surrounded by love and eating away at all the love they have…” She looked into Sparks’ eyes, noticing once more that they had none of the shine that other ponies had, as if the light of Harmony had left her.

Sparks scoffed, slapping the Princess with her hoof. She fell to the floor as if in slow motion, her crown flying off of her head as she landed. “It doesn’t matter. She was the one who raised me, and she was right either way…” Rarity and Fluttershy looked at the mare with a mixture of fear and rage in their eyes as she charged magic in her horn once again, sending out three simultaneous bursts of magic as everything went black.

Author's Note

That's right. A two-parter. You know how this goes in the show, right? Yeah... I'm doing pretty much the same thing here.
Enjoy what comes next!

Reconciliation

The castle shook once more. Books had fallen off of the shelves, and Boltsinger had to fly just to keep his equilibrium. Owlowiscious was frantically flying around, trying to pick up as many books as he could while Abu clung to a pillar. The stallion found himself chasing the bird in an attempt to calm him down, but there was no luck there, as a loud knocking came at the front door. He patted the owl on the head for encouragement, then sped to the foyer, opening the front door.

“Of course you’re the one to answer the door.” a yellow stallion with a dirt-brown mane huffed, his wings balled into fists.

Boltsinger recoiled at the sight of his brother, backing up several steps. “What are you doing here?”

“Looking for my wife.” Brightling answered. “She’s been gone for the last three days. Left a note saying she was looking for something. I was told the thing she was looking for was in Ponyville, then I arrive and there’s an earthquake! I was hoping she would have paid the Princess another visit.”

“Twilight’s been gone for a few hours, now. Said something about an emergency.” He told him. “The map called her and our friends to the Everfree Forest… I’m getting worried…” He slapped his muzzle with his wings, trotting past the yellow pony. "Tell you what, I’m gonna go look for my fiance. If I find Sparks, I’ll tell her you’re worried, ‘kay?”

Brightling reached out with his wing, yanking on Boltsinger’s tail and pulling him back. “I have a better idea. We both go.” he reluctantly suggested. “You wouldn’t survive Everfree on your own. I might as well make sure the job gets done right.”

Boltsinger struggled, eventually pulling his tail from his brother’s grip. “Well, you are the idea guy. Come on, I’ll show you the way.” He motioned his wing to beckon him along.

The two headed east, Brightling at a gallop while Boltsinger sped through the air above him. Brightling’s face seemed to be on the confused side. “You said you were gonna be looking for your ‘fiance’... Are you getting married?”

“That’s kinda what ‘fiance’ means, big brother.” the blue-maned stallion deadpanned.

“Yeah, but the idea of you getting married isn’t exactly something that comes easily.” the brown-maned one retorted. “So who is the mare in question?”

“What, you mean it’s not obvious?”

“Obvious how?”

“I live in her castle.”

Brightling looked up at his younger brother with the widest eyes he’d ever had. “You’re marrying a Princess?”

Boltsinger nodded. “Yeah, I guess I am.” They kept going for several minutes. “So, you’ve definitely matured since the Gala.”

Brightling cast an offended look. “What do you mean by that?”

“Well, you didn’t try to hospitalize me when I opened the door.” he explained. “What changed?”

“I had a few run-ins with some ponies from this town.” he said, casting his gaze forward. “The pink one that was obsessed with your birthday explained some things. You didn’t seem so monstrous after that. Plus there was that big red one. Big Mac, I think? He put up a pretty good argument on what it means to be a sibling.”

Boltsinger let out a small chuckle. “They’re good friends. I’m glad to see you changing for the better.”

As the two continued their journey to the forest, black vines began to encroach upon the town. They stopped at the mouth of the forest, the vines covering the trees and lashing out. “What’s going on, here?” Brightling queried. “Even the clouds have these freaky plants coming out of them!”

“I’ve heard about this…” Boltsinger stated, putting his hoof to his muzzle. “The Everfree Forest is attacking! That’s only happened once before, and that was when… Oh no…” He flew back a bit, ready to build momentum. “The Tree of Harmony is in danger! Come on! Twilight is probably already there!” Boltsinger rocketed towards the forest, faster than his brother had ever seen.

“Hey, wait for me!” he cried, galloping after him.

A ways into the forest, the brothers came upon a yellow-green swamp, a number of craggy black rocks sticking out of the surface. Boltsinger landed next to the shore, eyeing it carefully. Brightling stepped forward, reaching his hoof towards the first rock in an attempt to cross, but found himself yanked back by his brother’s teeth, landing on his rump. “What the heck was that for?”

“Trust me, you don’t want to step on those rocks.” Boltsinger told him. “Ironic that you say I wouldn’t survive here when you don’t know what all is waiting.”

Brightling stomped his hoof and faced his brother. “What are you talking about?! Have you been here before?”

Boltsinger’s scowl matched that of his elder brother’s as he faced him. “What part of me living in Ponyville and, oh, I dunno, showing you the way to the place we need to go tells you I’ve never been in the Everfree Forest?” He pointed at the rocks with a wing. “That is a Cragadile. And if you step on it, it’s gonna attack! I read about it in the friendship journal! Twilight was pretty meticulous in her descriptions and book references.”

“So how do we get over it, then?” Brightling demanded. Boltsinger raised his wings, twinkling his feathers. Brightling took several steps back. “Oh, no… I am not flying! I don’t care what’s in danger, but I’m never getting up in the air again!”

Boltsinger jumped to a position that put his brother between himself and the water. “Too bad! You’ve got no choice!”

“What in Equestria are you talking abo--” Brightling was cut off as his brother flapped his wings as hard as he could, creating a blast of wind that sent the older stallion flying high over the water, screaming in terror as the rock-covered beast shot up out of the water, closing its jaws only just barely missing Brightling’s tail. He twisted himself around in the air, balling up a wing and slamming it into the beast. At the impact, the Cragadile faltered, falling to the water below as the yellow stallion landed on the other side of the water, snorting angrily. “Give me a warning next time, darn it!”

Boltsinger fluttered down beside his brother, looking more smug than he’d ever felt in his life. “Fine by me. Now let’s go!” He turned around, galloping down the trail. Brightling smiled at the orange pony, quickly following suit.

The brothers delved ever deeper into the forest, a number of howling Timberwolves repeatedly lunged out to attack them, but were all met with either a furious strike from Brightling, or a powerful gust of wind created by Boltsinger to send them flying away. Before long, the two found themselves nearing the edge of the forest, the black vines at their thickest with open maws looming over them.

“You sure you don’t wanna fly?” Boltsinger asked, looking at the black mass.

“Even if I did, those clouds up there look like they don’t want to be busted.” Brightling replied pointing his hoof up at the sky. “We’re gonna have to force our way through!”

Boltsinger looked up, spying a large number of thorned clouds. “Okay, but how do we do that, idea guy?”

Brightling brought a wing to his muzzle, dodging a vine that lashed out at him. “Well, this is a veritable ‘storm’ of vines, right?” He landed next to his blue-maned brother, looking up at them. “Now, who do I know that can cut through a storm?” He smirked, looking to the side. “Come on, little brother! Your fiance needs your help right now!”

Boltsinger felt an immense jolt in his spine, his wings growing stiff with electrical discharge. Brightling stepped back, recognizing the sight and seeing the lightning on his brother’s Cutie Mark crackling and whipping around, the necklace he wore giving off a powerful light. “You’re right… And you know what happens when somepony needs me?” He lowered his head and hunched over, motioning his tail in a beckoning manner, as if telling him to jump through behind him. “I get serious… Now… You stupid vines…” he reared up as much as he could, taking a deep breath. “GET OUT OF OUR WAY!!!” he bellowed, flapping his wings with a massive thunderclap. He shot forward, the electricity surrounding his body as he plowed into the vines. The vines pushed against the Pegasus, attempting to bite at him. He growled in frustration, the lightning emanating from him intensifying and burning the jaws right off of the ends and straight through the area where he struck, sending debris from the vines everywhere.

Brightling stared in awe at the feat, lingering for a moment before he shook his head, galloping forward and jumping with all of his might. He stepped for a brief moment onto the vines and made one last leap, landing on the steps below. He descended the stairs as quickly as he could, coming to a skidding stop as he reached the bottom of the canyon. He looked up at the sky, seeing the orange and blue streak that was his brother performing an immelman turn and rocketing towards the ground. With another thunderclap, his brother landed in front of him, a faint discharge still coming off of his body. “Wow…”

Boltsinger rose to his hooves, looking Brightling sternly in the eye. “How was that? Monstrous enough for you?”

Brightling beamed, putting his hooves on his sibling’s shoulders. “Monstrous? That was just plain awesome!” he exclaimed. “I never knew you could pull off that kind of stunt! My little brother… Wow.”

“Yep, but that’s enough about me. Let’s go!” he stated, turning towards a nearby cave where a red light shone. “You know, I never understood why you got so enamored with Sparks.”

“Call it foalhood attraction, I guess.” Brightling told him, looking at the light ahead. “I always felt that, deep down, she could be a really amazing pony. Her voice was always in the back of my mind, and it helped to shape me into the pony I am today. Now I just hope she’s okay… With or without her voice in my head, I can’t help but worry about her. She’s my wife, and I love her.”

Boltsinger looked ahead, nodding to himself. “Well, as long as you’re happy, that’s alright by me.” The two stood before the cave entrance, the red glow almost covering their field of vision. The stallions turned to each other, nodding and galloping inside.

Sparks looked down at the pony before her. The Princess of Friendship had been incapacitated, along with all of her best friends. It was too easy, thanks to the power of her new amulet. But that didn’t bother her. Those ponies were finally going to listen to her, whether they wanted to or not. Things were finally going to go her way again.

“Sparks?” a familiar stallion’s voice started. The mare raised her head, looking at the chamber’s entrance. Before her stood the stallion that she’d done her best to be rid of, Boltsinger, and the stallion she never expected to see here. Her husband, Brightling. “What are you doing?”

Boltsinger barely even noticed the mare, as the first thing he laid eyes on was the unconscious form of his fiance, Twilight Sparkle. “TWILIGHT!” he cried out, rushing to her side and lifting her head. “What’s going on?!” he put his forehead up to hers, beginning to panic. “Why won’t you wake up…?”

Brightling looked around the chamber, the fallen forms of several mares strewn throughout. He recognized some, but was unfamiliar with others. He looked at his wife, taking a step forward. “Sparks, why are you doing this? What’s that thing on your neck?”

Sparks stepped forward, standing over the orange pony and his unconscious fiance. “You stopped listening to me… Everypony stopped listening to me! I needed to fix that problem.” She looked between the mares in the room, smirking. “And now I have.” She cast a glare at her husband, her eyes gaining a fiery red glow. “Everypony will listen to me, now!”

Boltsinger looked up at the grey pony, paying special attention to the black and red necklace she wore. “That amulet… I heard about it before… The Alicorn Amulet. Great magical power, but it warps your mind.”

Hearing his brother’s words, Brightling took another step forward. “Sparks, I’ve always listened to you! You’re my wife!”

The mare stomped her hoof, scowling at the stallion. “No, you stopped listening to me when you started to go back to that farm again! If you were listening to me, you would have known why I need you to be with me at home! Why we need you!” She lit her horn, extending out six bolts of magical energy to the unconscious mares. “But if you insist on acting against me… Then I suppose I’ll just have to have my ‘new friends’ teach you a lesson!”

Twilight’s eyes shot open, a red glow completely covering them. Boltsinger backed up as the Princess slowly rose to her hooves, looking coldly at him. She was slowly joined by the blank stares of her friends, the Elements of Harmony having fallen off of them.

“Twilight… What’s going on?” Boltsinger asked, taking a step towards her. The Alicorn’s horn flared up with a red glow, launching a powerful beam of magic at his feet.

“She can’t hear you, Bolt.” Sparks informed him. “They’re my friends, now. And I’ve asked them to send you away!” She let a malicious laugh burst out as a black and red bubble formed around her, obscuring her from view.

Boltsinger jumped back, avoiding the attack and landing next to Brightling. The brothers looked at each other, then back at the ponies before them, their eyes alight with abject terror as the mares simultaneously stepped forward.

“So that amulet she’s got… How do we get it off?” Brightling inquired.

“She has to take it off, herself.” Boltsinger explained. “We can’t force it off of her. Besides… We have bigger concerns at the moment.” He looked around the chamber. The Elements normally present on the necklaces that Twilight’s friends wore were distinctly absent, the jewels laying on the floor where their bearers had been. Twilight’s crown was sitting on the floor by the wall, still sparking with magic. “Maybe if we reunite them with their Elements… We can break the hold… What do you think?”

“And I thought I was the idea pony…” Brightling said, lunging forward. He dove for the closest element he could find, a blue one shaped like a balloon, and grabbed it with his wing. As he scooped it up, Applejack and Rarity stood on either side of him, each dragging a hoof across the floor. “Bolt! Which one does the blue one go to!”

“Look at their Cutie Marks! Their Elements have the same shape!” he explained as Rainbow Dash barrelled towards him. Rainbow’s faster than me… But Sparks is controlling them… She doesn’t know them like I do! He gave a fierce smirk, dodging to the side as his flight coach rocketed past him. He searched the room, spotting the purple Element of Generosity with Pinkie Pie standing in front of it. He flapped his wings, hard, jumping into the air and behind the bouncy mare and grabbing the element in his teeth. “Brightling! I’ll trade you!” He called out, holding the gem up with his wing.

Pinkie turned around, jumping at the orange pony in an attempt to grab the element from his wing. Boltsinger quickly retracted his limb, ducking below the diving mare only to jump high as she was clear. He twisted his body, tossing the Element towards his brother, who repeated the gesture with the blue one. The brothers landed, facing Rarity and Pinkie Pie respectively. The two mares, plus Applejack, dashed forward. Boltsinger and Brightling met the charge of their targets and slapped the jewels into the necklaces they wore. Brightling jumped out of the way of Applejack’s rush, looking at Rarity as she rose into the air, a purple glow surrounding her. Boltsinger stood behind Pinkie Pie, who had done very much the same with a blue shine. After a moment, the mares landed, the magic connecting them to Sparks snapping apart.

Rarity let out a groan, putting her hoof to her head and opening her eyes. “What in Equestria is going on…?” she asked, looking at Sparks. “Oh, yes… that.”

Pinkie looked around frantically. “I’m awake! What happened? Did we win?!”

Brightling put his hoof on Rarity’s shoulder. “How well can you two move around?”

Rarity looked puzzlingly at Brightling. “Aren’t you…? I can move perfectly fine, thank you very much! What does that have to do with any of this?”

Boltsinger scooped up the nearest Element, presenting the red lightning bolt to Pinkie. “Get the Elements to their owners! And be ready for a fight!”

Pinkie stood up on her hind legs, saluting with her foreleg. “You can count on me!” She took the Element in her teeth, dashing after Dash.

Rarity followed suit, using her magic to lift the orange apple of Honesty and facing Applejack. “Darling, you could really use something with that accessory of yours!” she cried out, charging after her farm pony friend. Applejack leaped over the Unicorn, making another bid for Brightling. The yellow stallion jumped at the mare, flapping his wings ever-so-slightly to gain some air above her and holding her back by her forelegs as the fashionista put the gem in its place. “There, that’s much better!” Applejack rose up, her orange light severing the connection that kept her under Sparks’ control.

Meanwhile, Boltsinger and Pinkie Pie dodged a number of charges from Rainbow Dash. Pinkie bounced around with bubbly laughter, beginning to give chase as Boltsinger skidded to a stop. He searched the room once more, diving for the butterfly-shaped jewel that represents Kindness. “You handle Rainbow!” he yelled, turning to another Pegasus that stood angrily before him. “I’m gonna talk some sense into Fluttershy!”

Pinkie nodded, shooting off after Rainbow Dash with her Element in hoof. “Aaaaaaaaaaaand… TAG!” She shouted, catching up to the Wonderbolt and slotting the jewel in with ease.

Boltsinger stepped towards the yellow mare, looking at her furious face pleadingly. “Come on, Fluttershy, you know that face doesn’t suit you!” He told her. Fluttershy charged forward, hooves raised. “You’re too brave to let somepony like Sparks have this kind of power over you! Too kind to try to fight anypony!” He caught her hooves with his wings, holding the Element out with his hoof. “I think, though, you may need a little…” he slotted the gem into place, the pink glow forming around her. “... nudge… in the right direction.”

Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy touched the ground simultaneously, taking in the room around them as Brightling walked up to Boltsinger.

“Why hasn’t your fiance been attacking?” he wondered, staring at the motionless Princess. “It was almost all these five.” As if responding to his statement, Twilight’s head jerked to cast her gaze on him, her horn glowing red once more.

Boltsinger’s ears lowered, a new kind of fear enveloping him as the mare took a step forward. “Because I was lucky enough to date an Alicorn… and somepony that powerful would need the extra effort!” He turned to the group. “Everypony scatter!” He commanded. Twilight charged magic into her horn, taking aim and firing at Boltsinger, who swiftly dove out of the way. Twilight’s beam persisted as she followed his movements. He searched as best he could for something to hide behind as the spell chased after him, grabbing the crown that held the Element of Magic as he crouched behind a rock formation.

Rainbow Dash charged, grabbing hold of Twilight’s left foreleg and throwing off her aim. “Twilight! What the hay are you doing?! That’s Bolt you’re shooting at!”

Brightling circled behind the Alicorn, clutching her back right leg. “She doesn’t recognize anypony right now!”

The Princess splayed her wings, attempting to throw the two ponies off of him. As they extended, Applejack and Pinkie Pie tackled the feathered limbs, holding them back as much as their Earth Pony strength would let them. Twilight raised her right foreleg, attempting to bring her hoof down upon Pinkie’s head, only for Fluttershy to thrust herself forward and grab the leg for herself.

“Twilight, this just isn’t like you! Snap out of it!” She cried, doing her very best to hold the leg down.

Twilight opened her mouth, a distorted roar coming out where her normal voice should have been. She stepped her only free limb forward, dragging the other ponies with her as she went.

“Oh, why do these situations always involve dirt?!” Rarity complained. “No matter! My friend needs me!” She let out her fiercest battle cry, charging forward and diving straight at Twilight’s back left leg, covered in dirt.

Boltsinger raised his head up from behind the rocks, looking in awe at all of the ponies working together to hold the Princess down. He rose into the air, shooting over to land in front of the struggling mare. “Twilight, I love you!” He brought the crown forward, placing it on her head and embracing her. “Come back to us!”

In the embrace, the ponies’ pendants clanged against one another again, a spark of lightning shooting between them that grew in size. A discharge began to build up from within Twilight, causing the ponies that held her to release their grip. Twilight’s wings shot straight up, reminiscent of how her fiance’s wings often behave, with magenta lightning crackling between them while the stars on her Cutie Mark all spun, shrinking and growing as if they were in the night sky. She rose into the air as the Element did its work, the line of magic that connected her to Sparks fizzling away.

With a loud thunderclap, Twilight landed, rubbing her temples with her wings as residual electricity encircled her hooves and her pendant. She groaned, shaking her head and looking forward at the Pegasus she loved. “Boltsinger?” She reared her head back, wide-eyed. “What are you doing here? What happened to Sparks?” Everypony in the chamber looked at the Princess in shock, the lightning emanating from her and her dancing Cutie Mark seeming to give her an all-new shine.

Boltsinger stepped up to her and pointed at the black and red bubble that now floated above the center of the room. “She’s there…” he told her.

The bubble began to pulse, the sound of a beating heart echoing through the chamber, the black silhouette of a mare with a red light inside her belly curled up appearing with every beat. A sense of foreboding flooded into the hearts of all the ponies present as Brightling stepped forward.

“Sparks… Come back to me… please!” the yellow stallion pleaded as the heartbeats continued.

Author's Note

Scratch the "two" from "two-parter" and make it "multi-parter" here. There's one more thing I need to get through before moving forward.
As always, enjoy what I have planned next!

Harmony Alight

Boltsinger stood with Brightling, Twilight, and all of their friends around a pulsating orb of magic in the cave that housed the Tree of Harmony. With each beat, a silhouette of Sparks could be seen with a light appearing from her belly. Brightling raised a hoof, attempting to reach out for it.

“Sparks… Come back to me… please!” he pleaded, touching the bubble with his hoof. “Please…”

As the hoof made contact, the orb let out one final pulse, sending a wave of magic through the area that sent the ponies skidding back. Black tendrils erupted out in all directions, slamming into the walls. The orb itself cracked as Sparks’ laughter deepened, reverberating and distorting as the pieces of the barrier fell away. Her hooves touched down, black tendrils threatening to encroach upon them from her legs above. Out of the Alicorn Amulet, a darkness veined, covering most of her body and moving all the while. Where once her eyes were a dark green, a bright red had taken hold, with a blackness replacing their whites. The tendrils of darkness retreated into the mare, wrapping around her and flaring out of her back like demonic wings, with still more of them wrapping around her horn as if to extend it and eked into her mane and tail to give them a false mistlike quality. Her ‘wings’ flared out as her laughter finally died down, looking at the ponies with a fanged grin.

“Sparks, what’s happened to you?!” Brightling asked. He ran towards his shadowed wife, putting his hooves on her shoulders. “What has that Amulet done to you?!”

“It’s shown me who I truly am, dear!” She retorted, taking to the air. “And who I truly am doesn’t need anypony else!” She gave a flap of her false wings, erecting a wall of shadow tendrils in around her that pushed the ponies around her into the cave walls while clearing a path for herself. She began walking in her slow but deliberate saunter, each step creating glowing red cracks in the floor. As she approached the exit to the chamber, she stopped, turning to look at them all. “In fact, I think I’ll make sure you lot are out of my way for good!” She made her way back to the center of the room, looking around at the struggling ponies and lit up her horn. “But which one first…?” She looked at Rarity. “The gaudy fashionista?” She aimed her horn at Applejack: “The bumpkin?” She turned again, pointing at Pinkie Pie. “The one that got my husband to question me in the first place? No...” She shook her head, pointing at Twilight. “Perhaps the Princess who binds them all together?” Twilight ignited her horn, struggling further against the shadows that held her in place as the mare laughed to herself. “I know! Why don’t I take care of the cause of all of this?” She turned once more, pointing her horn at Boltsinger. “After all, everything always seems to be better with you out of my mane!”

Looking at the fiery horn pointed at her fiance, Twilight felt a jolt running up her spine. Her wings tingled in a way she’d never experienced before as her pendant started to glow. “NO!!!” she cried, magenta streaks of lightning forming around her wings that shot through the tendrils that held her. She pushed against the wall with all of her might, breaking the shadow and diving into the transformed mare with a continuous discharge surrounding her. “You’re not hurting anypony!”

Sparks screamed in pain as the tendrils shattered, glaring at the Alicorn assailing her. “You don’t have a choice!” She pushed the Princess off of her, flaring her false wings forward. The feathers extended out into more tendrils as the amulet-holder loosed a powerful blast of magic at her enemy. Twilight ignited her horn in response, charged with magical lightning, she created a barrier between them that stopped the tendrils in place, deflecting the blast into the ceiling above. She began walking forward, pushing the beam back as best she could.

“Sparks, I understand what you were talking about!” Brightling told the mare. “When you said ‘we need you’, you were talking about you… and that light inside of you, weren’t you?”

Sparks scoffed, intensifying her attack. “Finally, you catch on! Yes, I’m with foal! But it’s too late, now!”

Boltsinger stepped forward next to Twilight, glaring at his sister-in-law. “Nonsense!” He shouted.

Twilight directed her eyes at the orange stallion, scared out of her mind. “Bolt, what are you doing?! If she breaks through this, you’ll get hit!”

“I know that, but she needs to hear this.” He stated, his gaze unflinching. “You hear me! What you just said was utter nonsense, Sparks!”

Sparks growled at hearing Boltsinger’s voice, intensifying her attack. “And what do you know? You’ve never suffered a betrayal before!”

Boltsinger recoiled his head, seemingly caught off-guard. “Really? That’s what you think?! What about you telling everypony in Vanhoover that I was a horrible monster that killed my own family?” he took a stern step forward. “Or how the first time I saw my own brother after so many years, all he wanted to do was beat me senseless?! You want to talk about betrayal? There were so many times, growing up, where I betrayed myself just by listening to the words you etched into my brain! I gave up on the very idea of friendship so many times! That’s the worst kind of ‘betrayal'!” He flared his wings, planting his hooves. “And now you say it’s too late to forgive your loving husband who risked his life and worked with somepony he hated to find you just because he didn’t agree with you on something?!”

“He acted against me!” Sparks pointed out, pushing back against Twilight’s barrier. “Anypony who acts against me is my enemy!”

“And that’s just egotistical nonsense!” the Pegasus retorted, pressing his face against the barrier. “It’s never too late to believe in your friends and family! I had no reason to, but I never stopped believing that Brightling could change for the better, and that belief paid off!” He brought his hoof and wing over his heart, looking earnestly into her eyes. “And, crazy as it may sound, I believe that you can change for the better, too! If you really are going to have a baby, then the way you were taught… it just won’t apply anymore! Don’t you realize that? It’s not just about you!”

Twilight strained to keep her charged magic going, the streaks of lightning flickering within the barrier. “He’s right, Sparks!” She began. “You can’t just serve your own ego! Not when you have others who depend on you! Even without your influence inside of him, Brightling gave you his love freely! And you married him! You wouldn’t have done that if you didn’t love him back!”

The false Alicorn ceased her attack, rearing up with another shot charging in her horn. “I’VE HEARD ENOUGH!!!” She bellowed, opening fire with her sights set on Boltsinger. The blast tore right through Twilight’s magic, sending her reeling from the backlash, and made its way towards the blue-maned stallion.

“NOOOOOO!!!”

In the moment, the world around them seemed to slow down. The wave of magical energy loosed from Sparks barreled towards Boltsinger, who looked ahead in shock. Between him and his assailant, a bright yellow Pegasus stallion, a brightly lit light bulb emblazoned on his flank, was standing on his hind legs, forelegs and wings spread wide. Sparks’ pupils shrank at the sight before her, the wave decreasing in size and completely leaving her horn as she called out in terror, the red in her eyes flickering as a semblance of light appeared in them. The attack struck home, sending the pony flying back into the wall just under the Tree of Harmony, smoke rising from his chest.

“BRIGHTLING!!!” Boltsinger and Sparks cried in unison. Boltsinger ran to his older brother, pulling him away from the wall and cradling him in his forelegs and wings.

“Hang on, big brother!” He yelled, shaking him slightly. “I’m here for you!”

Sparks’ mouth hung open, an eerie silence coming about in the world around her as she fell to the floor with shaky eyes and staggered breaths. “What have I done…? I… I-I-I killed my own husband!” She sat up, looking at the amulet that veined out evil across her body. “Is this what’s doing it?!” She looked pleadingly at Twilight, tears running down her muzzle. “Get it off… Please, just get this accursed thing OFF OF ME!”

“Nopony but you can get it off! You have to do it yourself!” Twilight informed her.

Sparks quickly nodded, lighting her horn and surrounding the amulet with her magic. She pulled emphatically, yanking and tugging at the jewelry, but the tendrils of darkness persisted in keeping it stitched onto her. “I can’t get it off!” She fell to the floor again, covering her hooves with her head. “I’m… I’m too far gone… I’m bonded to it, aren’t I?”

Twilight flared her wings and stepped forward. “Not if we have anything to say about it!” She declared, quickly joined by Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy. “Ready, girls?”

The other mares nodded in tandem. “Ready!”

Twilight rose into the air, the lightning in her wings fading as the Element of Magic began to shine. From it, two streaks of rainbow magic extended out, touching the Elements of Loyalty and Honesty, whose bearers began to float as well and extend the rainbow. Reaching out, it touched the Elements of Generosity and Laughter, triggering the same effect on their wearers as the other mares experienced, finally spreading to the Element of Kindness. The mares formed a circle of harmonious light which shot forward, encompassing the transformed figure that was Dimming Sparks. Shadow tendrils shot out of the ball of magic several times, each attempt ending in a more powerful rainbow extending from the Elements to further envelop the darkness. Sparks let out an agonizing scream as the magic did its work, streaks of blackness melting away. In a final flash if white light, the rainbow magic disappeared, the grey-coated Unicorn laying in the same position she was in before, sobbing to herself.

Twilight and her friends landed, the Alicorn rushing to the defeated mare’s side. “Sparks! Take it off now before it can take hold of you again!”

Sparks looked up from her position, seeing the Princess’ worried face looking down at her. She sat up instantly, raising a foreleg and pushing at the amulet. After a second of strain, the dark necklace came flying off, its chain broken. As soon as the Alicorn Amulet touched the cave floor, the entire chamber began to rumble. The Elements of Harmony flew from their adornments on their bearers and back into the tree from which they first grew, a number of roots rising out of the floor around the corrupted corundum. The roots enveloped the amulet, dragging it into the ground below as the tree shined brightly.

“Well… that was certainly a light show…” a weak voice said from beneath the tree. Brightling had opened his eyes, looking fondly at the mare he loved. She looked back at him, a luster in her eyes he had never seen before. “Sparks!” He called out, reaching his foreleg out.

Sparks dashed forward to her husband, placing his hoof in hers as she leaned closer to him. “I’m so sorry, Brightling… I don’t know what I was thinking! I was just so… angry! And now…” she bent lower, sniffing up a sob as the tears continued to fall. “Now… I’ve done this…”

Brightling reached up with his wing, wiping her face free of tears. “Done what?” he asked. “My chest hurts, yeah. I think you might have broken a few ribs, too… But you dialed it back at the last second! I’ll live.” He sat up, Boltsinger helping to support his weight. “I knew you loved me too much to let something like that happen!”

Sparks looked at her husband’s smiling face. The light and love she saw in his bright coat and shining eyes reminded her of their foalhood, where he passionately used his talents for everypony, and devoted so much of his time just to be with her, despite how grumpy she was all the time. She smiled in return, genuinely for the first time she could recall, and lunged forward, wrapping her forelegs around him in a tight embrace. “I love you, Brightling…”

The yellow stallion brought his forelegs forward, putting them around the grey mare. “I love you, too, Sparks.” After a moment of silence, the husband and wife broke their embrace. Sparks helped her husband to his hooves, straining a bit from the movement. He looked at his younger sibling, making to move his wing towards him only to cry out in pain. “SON OF A ROTTEN PEAR!”

Boltsinger took a look at Brightling’s wings. They were bent backwards in more ways that should be possible for a pair of wings, seemingly swolen. “Looks like you’ll be staying at Ponyville General for a while, big brother.” He stated, starting towards the cave’s exit. “I appreciate you saving my life and all, but maybe next time try to think about whether or not your idea is actually good before acting on it. It might get you fewer broken wings.”

One stallion looked at the other, his face alight with shock. “Wait… my… my wings are broken?!” Boltsinger nodded. “But-but… I need my wings! Flying or not, I need those things to function!”

Boltsinger chuckled. “Well, I think a Home Economics class might help you to adapt!”

Brightling sat in a bed at Ponyville General Hospital, his wings in splints. The doctor had earlier laughed himself to tears at the idea of having treated the same injury on two members of the same family in the same year, and he now lay surrounded by ponies. Sparks was directly at his side, while Boltsinger, Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash encircled him.

“So…” Boltsinger started, looking around the room. “This is what it’s like to be on this end, huh?” Brightling cast a pouting glare in his brother’s direction, causing the stallion to inch back a few times. “I’m kidding! You’ll be back on your hooves in no time!” He raised his hooves defensively as his friends laughed.

Sparks, who had remained silent since the events in the cave, lifted her head and looked around at the laughing ponies. “How can you possibly forgive him after what happened at the Gala…?” she wondered, their attention turning to her. “Or… me, for that matter? How do you all just… smile like everything is going to be fine?”

Rainbow Dash stepped forward first. “Honestly? I’m still mad about what happened at the Gala!” She told her, stomping her hoof. “I told myself that the next time I saw his face, I was gonna beat it ‘till you couldn’t see it anymore!” She stepped back, turning to her flight student. “But, Bolt was able to forgive him. So, I figured if somepony as panicked and depressed as that one can give him a second chance, it was worth a shot.”

Brightling raised a hoof. “Speaking of the Gala… I wanted to apologize for that. I… wasn’t myself back then.”

Fluttershy nodded politely. “We understand. We all do things we regret.”

“And you sure came through in the end!” Pinkie added, bouncing up behind her.

Rarity stepped forward and placed her hoof on the bed. “Indeed. If you and Boltsinger hadn’t shown up when you did, it would have spelled disaster!”

Twilight looked at the saddened grey mare across the bed and sighed to herself. “Sparks… to be completely honest, I haven’t gotten over what you did to Bolt.” Sparks cringed slightly. “The way you acted during your first visit to Ponyville… And to top it off, you went after the Alicorn Amulet and went crazy! It’s a lot to swallow.” She stopped for a second as the Unicorn brought herself lower. Twilight took a deep breath, reaching out and putting her hoof on her. “But I can tell by looking at you now that there’s been a change in you. Even after all of the negativity between us, that’s something I just can’t ignore. If you’re willing to accept real friendship in your life, and use your talents in a way that makes you and everypony around you into better ponies, then I don’t see why I can’t give you another chance.”

Sparks looked up at the Alicorn that stood over her, placing her hoof on the extended foreleg. “Thank you, Princess… I’ll do my best.”

Brightling leaned forward, looking somberly at Boltsinger. “Well, forgiveness or not, what I did back then was wrong… and illegal.” He took a deep breath. “So, once I'm out of here, I’m gonna go to Canterlot… I’m gonna head right up to the castle, and let them know what I did.”

“Ya do realize that means yer gonna get arrested, right?” Applejack informed him.

“That is what happens when you break the law.” he confirmed, looking at his lap. “And I need to accept the consequences for what I did.”

“Well, what if the one you assailed went with you to put in a good word?” Boltsinger suggested. “I do have friends in Canterlot, you know.”

“You’d seriously do that?” Brightling asked, showing a mixture of awe and confusion.

“Well, you are family.” Boltsinger affirmed. “It’s the very least I can do.”

Brightling let out a relieved sigh, a tear running down his muzzle. “Thanks, little brother.” He reached his foreleg forward, pulling his brother in for a tight embrace. “I mean it… Thank you.”

Boltsinger put his forelegs around the yellow stallion with a face mirroring his teary-eyed brother’s, careful to not hit his wings. “Any time, big brother… Any time…”

Author's Note

This chapter was... difficult. Difficult because of the relationships in it. Difficult because of my inexperience in scenes like these, and... Difficult because of what it means.
The next chapter, in as spoiler-free of a way of saying this as I can come up with... Is the finale for this story. I hope you enjoy it.

One Bolt, Moving Forward

“Totally no pressure, right? Absolutely no nerves! We’re just closing in on the date, and it’s easily the biggest date of our lives thus far! It’s not like it’s some big life-changing event that will represent the biggest step ever in moving forward, right?” Boltsinger continued his rambling as he paced through the music room, Abu swinging from his stiff, outstretched tail. “We need to make sure everypony arrives on time, get to Canterlot for the rehearsal and ceremony, make sure that the music is on point… Rarity’s done with the outfits, right?” he asked the monkey, moving his tail to hang the simian in front of his face. He received a shrug and a squeak in response. “I don’t know! I haven’t seen them yet!” He planted his rump on the floor, holding out a wing for the monkey to hang from. “Am I gonna have to go through another one of those ‘mane treatments’ with Rarity? There’s just… so much… I’m just glad Twilight is as organized as she is… She’s got it handled, right?!”

In the library, Twilight sat on top of a pile of books, chewing on the pink stripe of her mane. “How do I not have this handled?! It’s my own wedding, darn it!” She sifted through the dating book, trying to find as much help as she could to no avail. She had brought in a number of books regarding the individual parts of it, but still found herself too frantic to really concentrate. “We’ve all put a wedding together before! And so much of it has already been set up! Why is this freaking me out so much! I mean, all we have to do is…”

In the music room, Boltsinger’s face tensed up with realization. “The biggest thing left to do now, is…”

“Come up with our vows!” the two simultaneously exclaimed.

An hour later, Boltsinger trotted through the halls, mumbling softly to himself while casting a focused gaze forward. He went through several ideas as a pink Unicorn trotted up beside him.

“Hey.” she greeted, looking ahead with him.

“Hey.” he automatically replied.

“Whatcha doing?” she asked.

“Thinkin’.”

“Thinking about…?”

“Wedding is coming up. Gotta come up with vows. How are vows so darn difficult?”

“It’s basically talking about your feelings, and that’s always hard.”

“Sister, you are preaching to the choir.”

“So, whatcha gonna say?”

Boltsinger tilted his head, confused. “I thought we just went over this… I don’t know. Wait a minute... This feels familiar…” He stopped, turning his head to see Starlight’s smiling face. His eyes lit up, smiling from ear to ear. “Starlight!” he cried, lunging into a hug. “It’s good to see you!”

Starlight reciprocated the embrace, patting his back. “Well, I couldn’t possibly leave you without your Best Mare so close to the big day, could I?”

“You’ve got a point, there.” he stated, resuming his walk. “So, I take it Sunburst made it, too?” Starlight nodded, walking alongside him. “What about Shining Armor and Cadence?”

“And Flurry Heart!” Starlight added. “Shining Armor and Cadence are at Rarity’s getting fitted, and Sunburst is watching the foal here.”

“Excellent!” Boltsinger said, jumping into the air and hovering a bit before landing again. “So I really just have to worry about…” He hung his head, racking his brain. “Vows…”

“Well... good luck with that.” she told him, patting him on the back and trotting ahead. “I’m gonna go say hi to Twilight!”

Boltsinger kept his pace, weakly raising a wing, waving a farewell as his mumbling resumed.

Twilight continued to sit atop her books, furiously chewing on the pink in her mane. She had floated a number of quills and parchments over, trying to write something down, but pulling away every time. In truth, everything else for the ceremony was set up. Celestia was to preside over the ceremony, everypony who was invited had RSVP’d, and her friends had every aspect of the ceremony and reception covered. It was just the vows that she wasn’t sure about.

Twilight let out a groan of sheer annoyance. “Why is writing up some vows so hard?!!” she shouted, bringing her hooves up with a momentum that tossed paper everywhere.

“Probably because you’re talking about your feelings, and you think too much to put those into words very well.” a mare’s voice stated from the entrance. “Bolt is worrying about the same thing. I guess you two really rubbed off on one another!”

Twilight looked at the source of the voice, completely forgetting her worries as she recognized the face of her student. “Starlight!” she yelled, diving into the Unicorn. “You’re here!”

Starlight laughed, putting her foreleg around the glomping Princess. “Yep! You two definitely rubbed off on each other.” She got up from under her. “You even greet the same way. Although you’re a bit more aggressive about it.” Twilight laughed, immediately going into questions on how life in the Crystal Empire had been. The two headed to the foyer, sharing news the entire way. “So, right after I leave Ponyville, some big event happens that threatens all of Equestria? I swear, I miss all of the fun these days!”

“You wouldn’t miss out if you came back…!” Twilight suggested, leaning in and fluttering her eyelashes.

Starlight smiled, pushing her former mentor back. “I’m perfectly happy with where I live, Twilight.”

The Princess of Friendship let out a giggle as they rounded the corner to the foyer. “Well, it was worth a shot. Shall we go to Rarity’s to check on my brother and Cadence?” Starlight nodded, the two mares making for the exit.

In the dining room, a giggle reverberated off of the walls. Two orange stallions sat on either side of a high chair. Boltsinger moved away an empty jar as Sunburst brought forth flash cards.

“So, Flurry, what do you see in this card?” Sunburst inquired, floating one of them up to her.

“Pony!” She exclaimed, raising her hooves.

Sunburst smiled wide, pulling the card away. “That’s right, Flurry Heart! That card had an Earth Pony on it!” He brought another card forward. “What kind of pony is on this one?” he continued as the Pegasus returned.

“Horn!” The filly called out, pointing her hoof at Sunburst.

“Exactly! It’s a Unicorn, like me!” He confirmed, replacing the card with a new one. “And this one?”

Flurry pointed an excited hoof at Boltsinger. “Wing! Wing!”

Boltsinger beamed, leaning in and nuzzling the filly. “You’re right! It’s a Pegasus, just like me!” Flurry giggled as Boltsinger brought something out from under his wing. “And this…” he placed a moderately-sized chocolate chip cookie in front of her. “... is a smart cookie for the smart cookie!” Flurry squeed with glee, picking up the dessert with her magic and chomping down happily.

“I don’t know how you got so good with her so quickly.” Sunburst pointed out. “It took me a lot of consistent time with her to get where I am with her now.”

“Don’t sell yourself so short.” Boltsinger replied. “I mostly just listened to Twilight’s advice and worked from there. You had to learn it all the hard way.”

Sunburst smiled, adjusting his glasses. “Thanks.” He took a lingering look at Flurry. “I guess that’s the kind of advice I should expect from a prince, huh?”

The Pegasus’ head recoiled, thinking about his friend’s words. “Prince? What do you mean, prince?”

Sunburst raised a hoof informatively. “Well, you’re marrying a Princess. That means you’ll become a prince, just like Shining Armor did.”

Boltsinger’s eyes widened as his jaw fell as far as it could go. “... I see…” he started. “... I never really thought of that…” He shook his head rapidly, trying to get the thought out of his mind. “So, uh… The girls are going to be doing some… uh… spa stuff tomorrow. Big Mac and Discord are gonna come by, and we’re gonna be doing a ‘guys night’. You up for joining in?”

“What exactly does a ‘guys night’ entail?” Sunburst wondered.

Boltsinger grinned. “Only the best role-playing game of all time!” he declared, spreading his forelegs.

Sunburst looked at his fellow stallion with an excited expression. “You don’t mean Ogres and Oubliettes, do you?”

“Eeyup!” Boltsinger confirmed. “With a Discord twist!” he explained the way that Discord spiced up the game. “So, you in?”

“Of course I’m in!” he shouted, nearly falling out of his chair.

Two days later, the throne room was full of ponies. The Element-bearers sat in their thrones, while Boltsinger sat in his usual spot between Twilight and Applejack’s thrones. Cadence, holding Flurry Heart, sat next to a cowering Fluttershy, giving her words of encouragement for her upcoming performance, while Sunburst and Starlight sat together between Spike and Rainbow Dash, talking about various things. Spike, Pinkie Pie, and Discord debated what was going to go down for the bachelor party, while Applejack poured over recipes for ‘the best darned apple treats a pony could make’ with Big Mac looking over her notes. Rainbow Dash simply sat and read some Daring Do while Rarity put all of her attention into a sketch for the decorations to be set up at the ceremony proper.

“You look… distracted.” Shining Armor mentioned, putting his hoof on Boltsinger’s shoulder.

Boltsinger inhaled sharply, looking back at the source of the surprise contact. “What? Distracted? I’m not distracted! We had a really good time last night! We played the best game ever in the best way possible and we had a great time and I wasn’t able to concentrate on anything or do anything or think about anything because I was distracted!” He put on the biggest, least sincere smile he’d ever had, quickly shifting to a state of confusion. “... That didn’t come out like I planned…”

“Probably ‘cause you’re distracted.” the Unicorn continued. “Why don’t you tell me what’s got you so…””

“You can use the word. It fits here.”

“Frazzled.” he finished.

Boltsinger sighed, holding up a wing and extending only two of his feathers. “There’s two things…” He retracted one feather. “First of all, I have no idea what to do for my vows. I don’t understand how it’s so hard! I tell her how I feel all the time, but for some reason, this feels different... “ He extended the feather again, pushing his wing forward. “And then something new came to my attention… It should have been obvious, I know, but… In just a couple days… I’m marrying a Princess! Which means… against all expectations, besides maybe Rarity’s, I’m technically going to be a prince! And I have absolutely no idea what all that entails!”

Shining Armor had reared back, unsure of how to respond to at least part of what the Pegasus had said. “So, I’m afraid I don’t have any advice when it comes to your vows. But I know a lot about the whole ‘prince’ thing.”

“That’s a relief…” he said. “So what’s it like?”

“Well, you pretty much are the same pony you were before.” the white stallion explained. “I was a captain of the Royal Guard long before I married Cadence. I basically have to fill in for her when she’s gone, and I attend to things that I have experience with.”

“So, royal guard stuff.”

Shining Armor chuckled, tapping Boltsinger’s shoulder. “You’ll learn as you go. It’s not that big of a deal.”

Boltsinger looked at the map in front of him, his reflection staring back. “I don’t know how much of that I believe, but you are the one with experience.” He turned his gaze towards Twilight, whose face was buried amidst a wall of parchment. He smiled, thinking of the life ahead of them.

Meanwhile, Twilight’s parchment remained completely blank. “I have to get this perfect… So why can’t I think of any words to say?”

“Perhaps the way you feel is beyond words?” Cadence suggested, sitting next to her.

Twilight lowered her papers, looking at the pink-hued Princess. “I don’t know… I’ve told him how I feel before, and I’ve certainly lectured him with a lot of feeling…” She took a deep breath. “He says that I’m the only one that moved either of us forward, but he always forgot something.”

“And what’s that?” the Crystal Princess wondered, putting one hoof on her muzzle and the other on the map beside her.

“He was always the one who poured his heart out first.” she explained, taking a look at the smiling stallion. “The way he feels, and the depth of his emotions… That’s a big part of what had me so…” She let a swooning sigh escape as the next word came to her. “... enraptured.”

“It sounds to me like you have a good idea of how you feel.” Cadence told her, leanng in close. “So why are you having so much trouble putting it to the page? You’ve written speeches before. This shouldn’t be a big deal for you.”

Twilight looked back at her sister-in-law, cocking an eyebrow. “Not a big deal?” she started, turning to face her completely. “Not a big deal?! This is the thing I’m going to tell the pony I love on the day that’s going to bind our fates together for the rest of our lives! What if he doesn’t think I’m sincere? What if I mess up when I’m saying them? What if my own scattered brain prevents me from even saying ‘I do’ during the ceremony?! I have to get this perfect, and I can’t even write down a single word!!! I can’t think of a bigger deal than this!” She hyperventilated, not realizing that she had lunged her head forward with her muzzle a mere inch away from Cadence’s. The room fell silent as all eyes in the room directed themselves towards her.

An orange hoof found its way to Twilight’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Twilight…” Boltsinger began. “I’m nervous, too.”

Twilight calmed down, her breathing returning to normal as she sank into her throne. “I just… don’t know what to say… I want this to be as perfect as possible, but I’m so scared of how it’ll turn out!”

“I know how you feel.” he stated. “I’d like to take you somewhere. We’re gonna be in the vicinity later, anyway, but I think you need to see it just as much as I do right now.” He turned to address everypony in the room. “Twilight and I are going to fly ahead to Canterlot. We’ll meet you all when you arrive, okay?” The pair received confirmations and approval from myriad sources as they made their exit. They headed out the door and took flight the moment the entrance to the castle closed behind them.

The two ponies lingered in the air above Ponyville. Boltsinger waited as Twilight caught up. He took her hoof as they turned towards their destination in the distance. “So, first of all, what’s got you so worried?” he queried, the two starting towards the mountainside city.

Twilight sighed, catching up with ease. “I can’t come up with anything to say for my vows…”

“Me, too.” he replied with a small chuckle. “It’s really kind of silly when I think about it. It’s not like I can’t think of my feelings. I just… I guess it’s kind of like writing lyrics to a song.”

Twilight tilted her head, looking below at the stallion. “Lyrics? But you’ve done so many heartfelt songs that everypony loves!”

“Indeed I have.” he admitted. “And every last one of them took a long time to prepare, and was one that somepony else wrote and I just… made use of. Putting words to music myself? That’s something I’ve never been able to do.” He performed a barrel roll around the Princess, adding an aileron roll as he went. “I’ve got all of these wonderful feelings in me…” he flew upside-down beneath his fiance, spreading his forelegs. “I just never know how to fully express them. I love to sing, though, so if I can find something that at least approximates what I’m feeling, I’ll utilize it.” He righted himself in the air, rising up to fly next to her. “I suppose lyrics come pretty naturally for you. I mean, you and the girls break into musical numbers all the time! I only wish I could be that spontaneous!”

“But that’s just how we get a big lesson across sometimes!” she stated, flailing her forelegs. “Or how we over-dramatically emphasize how we’re feeling or what we need to do!”

“And it lets you put those feelings into words that shows the extent of your emotions.” he reminded her. “And you six are so in sync through it all, it’s crazy! So, why don’t you just do what you’ve always done with your feelings?” He flew in front of her, moving backwards and looking her straight in the eyes. “Say what’s in your heart.”

Twilight stopped and landed on a nearby cloud, putting her hoof to her muzzle. “I never thought of it that way. Normally when songs happen, it’s spur of the moment. Half the time I don’t even know that we’re… well… singing. I’m just getting a point across.”

“Exactly. Make your point, naturally, like you always have.” he affirmed, landing next to her. “Nopony, especially not me, will judge you for speaking from the heart at your own wedding.” He lifted off again, turning around and offering his hoof.

She took the hoof happily as the two continued their flight. “You know, musical or not, you’re pretty good at expressing your own feelings when you have to.” Boltsinger waved a hoof in front of him in denial. “I mean it! When you get emotional, you really get emotional! I’ve seen you pour your heart out in ways that I can only dream of! All I can do in those situations is give a lecture, and those sound prissy or angry most of the time… The sheer amount of feeling you put into your… well, feelings, always manages to leave me breathless.”

The stallion smiled warmly at the mare as they neared the city. “I don’t know why we didn’t talk to each other about this from the start.” his gaze lingered on her for several moments as their flight continued.

She laughed and directed her eyes forward. “Well, if we communicated that easily, things would get boring, and we’d never learn any friendship lessons!”

Boltsinger laughed in return. “Spoken like the Princess of Friendshi--”

CRASH!

Another arrival in Canterlot, another smash into a wall. Boltsinger unceremoniously fell onto the balcony below, groaning in pain as his Alicorn companion joined him at his side. She lifted his head, making sure he was alright as he opened his wobbly eyes.

“It’s okay, Prince Lulu, I won’t fly away! My dreams are broken, after all!” He droned, putting his hoof on Twilight’s foreleg.

“I thought he had gotten past this habit…” a mare’s deep voice started from the room beyond. Out of the shadowy chamber, Princess Luna appeared. She stepped forward and took a seat next to Twilight and her fiance. “Does he not look where he is going when he flies with you?”

“We were having a pretty in-depth conversation.” Twilight explained. “He was pretty distracted.”

Luna smiled as she looked at the stallion she met so long ago on the very balcony upon which she sat. “I can imagine, what with the celebration coming up. How are you faring?”

The Princess of Friendship patted her delirious husband-to-be on the head. “Everything is prepared… except for us. He said he wanted to take me somewhere here in Canterlot, but I don’t think he can lead me there in this state…” She spread her wings, bringing them together on either side of his muzzle as his eyes returned to normal.

Boltsinger sat up, looking around as if something was wrong. “Huh? What? Yes, I want pancakes, Spike!”

“Pancakes?” Luna repeated, stifling a chortle.

The stallion looked around getting his bearings. “Oh… We’re here.” He took a look at Luna. “Good evening, Princess. Did I crash again?”

“Indeed you did, fair Boltsinger.” She confirmed, motioning to the wall above the doorway, which now had two pony-shaped indents situated above it. “I would ask you to crash at least once more if my entryway is to have some semblance of symmetry to it.”

Boltsinger busted out laughing, Twilight soon joining him. “I see Pinkie wasn’t kidding when she told me how funny you could be!” He sat up once more. “Well, it’s convenient that we landed here.” He turned to face Twilight. “This is exactly where I wanted to bring you.”

Twilight looked around, failing to understand the Pegasus’ reasoning. “Why here? The view is lovely, but what does this place mean in particular?”

“Twilight, this balcony, that wall, is where everything began for me.” He informed her, tapping his hoof on the floor below them. “This is where I slammed into a wall and met a Princess. She had a great many questions, and thanks to her concern, I met you… Now, I can move forward. I just… wanted to show you this place from my perspective.” He stood and turned to the Princess of the Night, who had silently smiled at the stallion’s speech. “And, since you’re here, anyway… I want to thank you. If you hadn’t been on this balcony, I’m certain things would be a lot worse for me.”

Luna stood up, stepping forward regally for a moment and taking a deep breath. In that instant, her royal composure fell away, and she beamed, lunging forward and catching the orange pony in a tight embrace that he met with one of his own. “It has been my honor, my privilege, and my pleasure, my friend! May your days from here onwards grow ever happier!”

Twilight flashed a bright smile of her own at the scene before her. She looked at the indents in the wall, imagining just how much that one little impact changed the lives of her and all of her friends. She knew what was coming next, and, for the first time in several days, she didn’t feel stressed about it. All there was, right now, was excitement and anticipation, and she reveled in it.

The next day was a busy one. Everypony in the castle was abuzz. After a pancake breakfast hosted by Celestia came the rehearsal. After that, Twilight and Boltsinger had to check on each individual aspect of the ceremony. Knowing their friends, things were running rather smoothly, but the occasional hiccup did occur. Not all of the songbirds were quite on-key for one of the larger musical numbers, to which Boltsinger offered a hoof to help. Twilight was impressed at his ability to teach the nuances of such an advanced song, but thinking back on who she was looking at, she wasn’t all that surprised.

The surprise came when they visited Rarity. Without revealing any of the dresses she had made, she made her design plans quite clear in her color scheme. She had based it around flowers, and wanted each of the bridesmaids to match a type of flower in the bouquet the bride would carry. However, she was fretting over exactly which flowers to make use of. As soon as the issue was understood, Twilight teleported away, reappearing with the flower book she had received on her birthday. She made note of the colors Rarity had mentioned for each pony and sifted through the book at breakneck speeds. From there, she floated over dozens of flowers, each one perfectly matching the colors her friend had in mind and with a meaning that matched the pony in question. Boltsinger had seen her perform this kind of feat several times before, but the sheer scale of her research and organizational skills never ceased to amaze him.

As always, Apple Family treats and Cake Family sweets were second to none. The menu was set, and the guests began to arrive. Night Light and Twilight Velvet tackled their daughter, swelling up and overflowing with liquid pride while a large number of Ponyville residents arrived at the train station. Among the guests were two ponies neither of them had expected to see.

Brightling and Sparks exited the train, the former catching his sibling in a big hug. “I can’t believe my little brother’s getting married!” He shouted, catching the attention of Twilight’s nearby family.

“I can’t believe he didn’t get arrested…” Night Light commented, casting the yellow stallion a glare.

Shining Armor put a hoof on his father’s back. “Well, helping to save Equestria has a tendency to improve your standing with other ponies. Plus, the Princess of Friendship vouched for him.”

Velvet mimicked her son’s gesture. “Besides, he’s going to be a father, soon. Princess Celestia wouldn’t want to deprive a little foal of its father.”

Night sighed, knowing they were right as Shining Armor stepped up to Brightling. “So, you’re the brother I was told about.”

Brightling scratched his mane with his wing, looking sheepishly at the towering Unicorn. “I am. And you must be the brother of the bride?”

Shining Armor nodded, putting his hoof around Brightling. “I am. And we have a lot to talk about.” Brightling’s face tensed as the Unicorn encompassed him in magic, dragging him away with his wife in tow.

Boltsinger looked at the two of them as they left, more than a little shocked. “I do not want to know what they’re gonna be ‘discussing’...”

The day arrived. Boltsinger looked in the mirror, his ears low, and a veritable waterfall of sweat flowing down his face. He wore a black tuxedo with silver buttons, featuring a pattern of silver stars connected by white lightning bolts, with his pendant hung decoratively where a tie would have been. His morning was spent with Rarity, who gave him the full mane treatment. For the first time in a year, his mane was straight and streaked instead of wild and messy. Everything was set up. Everypony was more than prepared. Save one. Boltsinger still had no idea what to say.

“She’s got her side covered. She’s a natural at spontaneity!” he started, tugging at the collar of his shirt. “I just need to… do… something…” He puzzled for a moment. He pounded one hoof into the other. “Aha!” Spreading his wings, he whipped up a breeze that shut his door and began his work.

Celestia stood in the room in which all ceremonies were held. The room was filled with ponies of all kinds. Friends, family, and important ponies from all over. Her beloved sister stood beside her, and a nervous stallion stood in front of her, shaking like she had never seen a pony shake before. The ponies in the room chatted amongst themselves until Octavia played an opening note on her cello. The doors opened, the Earth Pony playing two measures of low notes, DJ PON-3 hitting a button on her setup to repeat them as the cellist went into a more elaborate melody. The songbirds began their high melody a few more measures in as the doors opened. First, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo made their way down the aisle, wearing simple white gowns and tossing flower petals every which way. Then, two-by-two, the wedding party made their entrance. Cadence and Shining Armor, followed by Starlight and Sunburst, Fluttershy and Discord, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Big Mac, and finally Rarity and Spike, each with forelimbs linked as they walked down the aisle.

Shining Armor and Cadence wore their normal formal attire, as dictated by Crystal Empire tradition. Sunburst was clad in a black and gold version of his cloak with his mane, tail, and beard coiffed into a sleek profile. Big Mac sported a tuxedo with apple patterns strewn on vines throughout, while Spike a flame pattern, and Discord featuring a little bit of everything all at once. Starlight wore a black dress with white trim, looking as if imitating a tuxedo, but with Rarity’s typical feminine flair, studded with baby blue sapphires along the collar, waist, and the hem of the skirt. Fluttershy wore a dress of alternating shades of pink, a bouquet and crown of pink flowers in the same shade of her Element of Kindness nestled into her mane. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie wore similar frocks in red and blue, the flowers matching their Elements of Loyalty and Laughter to a ‘T’. Applejack’s dress followed the same base design, but the colors were an alternating orange and green, with orange flowers of her own. Fittingly, Rarity wore numerous shades of purple, keeping her outfit in line with those of her fellow bridesmaids, creating a veritable rainbow of flowers and ponies when the five of them stood together. Everypony was in place, and all eyes turned to the door as Night Light appeared alongside the pony everypony was waiting for.

The songbirds began a solo of the traditional wedding march. Twilight Sparkle marched down the aisle, wearing a white gown that bore beautiful silver stars in a constellation pattern along the skirt, Strings of lace lined the waist and hem. The dress had no back, but the front, out of a stunning silver plated necklace that resembled a combination of the ones worn by Princesses Celestia and Luna, flowed down with intricate star patterns and knotwork designs. Each hoof bore a shoe in the same silver as the necklace that flared out in a design that resembled crystalline leaves, with white stockings covering her hind legs all the way up to her haunches. Upon her head was a diamond-studded tiara that held a veil in place, only just barely hiding her face. Her mane was parted on either side, revealing the diamond ring on the base of her horn, with her pendant worn as a hair clip on the back of her head, where the hair on the back of her head and neck was curled in layers. Clutched in her wings was a bouquet of flowers with a single large six-petaled magenta flower, arranged to be surrounded by the same kinds of flowers her bridesmaids and best friends featured, a testament to the Elements of Harmony which they all represented, and her position connecting them all. Shining Armor’s face scrunched up at the sight, tears of pride threatening to fall early as his sister made her way. Celestia looked at her pupil’s brother and immediately shared his sentiment, beads of water beginning to bud from her eyes as she smiled at the marching mare. Gasps of awe were heard throughout the room, while all of Twilight’s best friends offered the warmest smiles everyone in the room had ever seen. Even Rainbow Dash had a hard time keeping a straight face. Boltsinger’s mouth hung open, seeing Twilight in the gown for the first time caused his heart to skip a number of beats. She took her place next to him in front of Celestia, showing a shining smile.

Celestia flared her wings out to their full width, taking a deep breath. “Fillies and gentlecolts, ponies of all ages and kinds, thank you for coming.” She brought her wings back to her default position. “We are gathered here today for a celebration of love between two ponies. One who exemplifies the magic of friendship itself, and one who represents the kind of growth that magic can inspire in all of our lives. Over the past year, these two have lived together, laughed together, and cried together, forming a bond that goes beyond friendship. They stand before you all today to solidify that bond.” She brought her wings forward, putting one on each of the ponies being celebrated. “The young Pegasus, Boltsinger, whose talents have taken him all over Equestria to help ponies in need, and the Princess of Friendship herself, Twilight Sparkle!” At the mention of the Princess’ name, the entire crowd erupted into cheers and stomps of applause. Celestia cast her gaze at the two, giving off a radiance that empowered them. “You may now speak your vows.”

Twilight brought up a hoof, clearing her throat. “I’ve had a lot of time to think about what I’m going to say. But the truth is, as my sister-in-law suggested, the way that I feel right now, looking at you… It’s beyond words. When I first met you, I wasn’t sure what to think. You were so frightened of everypony around you, asking me if I thought you were worth it in the end. I stand by what I said back then. I believe everypony is worth it. And you proved that, over and over again, with the sincerity you’ve shown me, the depth of your feeling, and the lengths you’re willing to go to for somepony important to you, even at a great personal cost. Most of all, you became such a big part of my everyday life that the thought of not having you in it is simply unbearable. I love the way your voice echoes through the castle when you sing. The earnest desire to learn you show when I teach you. The joy you get from a good book or a good time with friends. I’m filled with pride to see the pony you’ve become after just a single year. And I’m thrilled to take the next big step together with you and see what the rest of our lives have to offer!”

Boltsinger wiped away a tear that escaped his eye, taking a deep, staggering breath. “Wow… That was… wow… I-I wish that I… Well, luckily, I was able to prepare something ahead of time…” He extended his wing, sending a gust of wind at the roof, where an air pocket waited. The pocket burst, and the message inside began to play.

“Hello, Twilight! It’s me… About an hour before the ceremony. There’s a really good chance that I’m too shaky and nervous to say what’s on my mind at the moment you’re hearing this, so I probably opened this air pocket right away!” Twilight looked at the source of the pocket, then at the stallion in front of her. He was practically vibrating with how shaky he was, sweat forming a waterfall down his sides. “The way that I feel about you… I’ve said it before, a lot. I love you. More than anypony I’ve ever known. When I first crashed into that wall upstairs, I thought I was nothing. I practically hated myself! I owe you and our friends everything, but you, most of all. I mean, you were the first pony in years to see the full extent of… well, me… and face all of it head-on! The friendship that I forged with you is pure magic, and even through all of the hard times, it’s only gotten better since. You brought friendship into my life… I can never, ever thank you enough. There aren’t enough words in all the books in the world to express how I feel about you… But, if I’m less shaky by the end of this, there’s a song that’s been running through my head for a really long time. You may find it familiar. I think I heard you singing it around the castle sometimes. Hopefully by the end of this message, I’ll have calmed down enough to actually perform it.”

All eyes fell on Boltsinger as he stood there. His shaking had died down considerably, and he slapped his muzzle with his wings repeatedly to get it to completely go away. He looked at Twilight, seeing in her a beauty that was all her own, and put his heart entirely at ease. “Well, you heard what I said an hour ago.” He took one more deep breath. “Here it is…” He began flapping his wings, the room’s atmosphere changing entirely.

“~Life in Equestria shimmers_____!

Life in Equestria shi-i-ines!

And I know for absolute certain___

That everything is perfectly__ fine…~”

Twilight gave a small gasp, recognizing the lyrics and tone instantly. “Hey, that’s my song!”

Boltsinger’s goofy smile came to full view. “I know! I told you I heard you singing it! Anyway, here’s my refrain!” Cue another deep inhale.

“~Life in Equestria sparkles____!

Life with you by my side shi-i-i-ines!

And I know as long as I’m with you___

That everything… is perfectly…~”

“Fine. It’s just fine.” he finished, completely relaxed as he looked her straight in the eye. As the stallion ceased the flapping of his wings, the entire crowd, wedding party included, erupted into cheers, louder than he had even heard during his days in Las Pegasus. “So… What do you think?”

Twilight gave a solemn nod, stepping closer to him. “It was beautiful.”

“Indeed it was.” Celestia confirmed. “Now… I suppose asking you if you’re ready for this wouldn’t do much good, after what we’ve all heard today.” Each pony, dragon, and Draconequus simultaneously nodded. “Very well, then. Have you anything to seal your vows with?”

Boltsinger spoke up first. “Twilight gave me this pendant long ago. I never take it off if I can get away with it, and its meaning gets stronger with each step I take with her. I think it’s the perfect symbol.”

Twilight turned to her teacher and nodded in agreement. “I feel the same way about this.” She pointed to her own pendant shaped like her Cutie Mark. “He gave it to me on Hearth’s Warming, and the way it was designed lets me wear it all the time, even when a necklace is impractical! Plus, even though it started off as ordinary jewelry, I think some of his magic may have rubbed off on it, so I always have a little bit of him with me no matter what! I can’t think of a better symbol, either!”

Celestia closed her eyes, acquiescing to their idea. “Then it’s settled! It is my greatest joy and honor to pronounce you… Husband and wife!”

The cheers came again as Twilight and Boltsinger faced one another. Boltsinger brought his wings forward, lifting the veil that only just barely tried to cover her face in the first place. The two ponies brought their foreheads together and gazed into each other’s eyes, each imagining the life ahead of them and the many adventures it would bring. They closed the gap between their awaiting lips, cementing the bond they had established before all of Equestria as their pendants began to spark and shine. Their wings began to tingle, shooting straight up and going stiff as their Cutie Marks began to dance in their individual ways. They separated their kiss as Rainbow Dash sped out of the room, following the cyan mare as quickly as they could. From outside, everypony in the castle heard a booming thunderclap, where an orange streak with a blue lightning bolt flew beside a purple streak with a pink stripe. Rainbow Dash quickly passed the two, a Sonic Rainboom lighting up the sky as they disappeared into the distance.

Author's Note

There you have it, folks. The season finale.
The song I had in mind for the initial march of the wedding party was Canon in D. Of course, I claim no ownership.
This story has been my honor, privilege, and pleasure to write. It's been good for my psyche, and it's been amazing to see the feedback that everyone offers. It breaks my heart to no end that this story has to come to an end, but we all have to move forward.
So, both Boltsinger and i are!
Did you notice something? How I said it was the "season" finale?! Well, guess what! I'm not done! I'm nowhere near done with this character or the kind of stories that could come out of his involvement with this world! So, I've decided to do things in terms of "seasons". I'll be basing a portion of what goes on in my own version of the story on what happens in the official release, meaning I'll be able to incorporate the events of Season 8 as it happens, and play with it in fitting ways. I have plans for major events, and will even be putting them on a timeline so that I have an idea of when to incorporate them. You might not see as rapid-fire of a release schedule out of me, but you will, most definitely, see more of me and Boltsinger!
Thank you for reading my little story. It ended up becoming something much more important to me than I ever could have dreamed. I hope you enjoyed it, and I sincerely hope you enjoy all that is to come!
I'll see you next season, in the new story, "One Bolt, Moving Forward"!

EDIT: So, because I can't stop writing for season 2, I've decided to "move forward" a little sooner than I was going to. I will still incorporate the canon where appropriate, but there's just too much buzzing in my brain for me to stop now. Next story starts soon!

Chaotic Company

Several days passed, and the sun rose over Ponyville once again. Fluttershy had invited Boltsinger over for tea in the afternoon, but before then, the Pegasus wanted to pay a proper visit to Applejack's home, Sweet Apple Acres. He flew through the town, seeing the bustling town in its usual state. The shops were busy, Fluttershy was going to various stores, likely in preparation for the afternoon, and Pinkie Pie was bouncing through town greeting everypony she could see.

After a few more minutes fluttering along, Boltsinger ascended, looking for the barn that marked Ponyville's founding farm. Once the big, red building was in view, he made a beeline for the place, skidding to a stop directly in front of the farm house's closed door. He raised a hoof, knocking on the door a number of times.

“Eh? Uh-what's goin' on?” An elderly voice called, coming up to the door. Before the stallion could move out of the way, the door opened swiftly, knocking him into the wall next to it. An elderly green mare with a bun in her white mane, orange eyes, and an orange bandana featuring an apple pattern on it poked her head out of the top half of the door. “Who's there?!” She asked.

The mare looked around, trying to find whoever knocked on the door. She grumbled in frustration as she closed the door, leaving Boltsinger to droop onto the ground.

“Howdy, there, Bolt!” A familiar voice called. “What brings you to Sweet Apple Acres?” Applejack trotted up to the Pegasus, offering a hoof to help him up.

“Well, I've never really paid your farm a proper visit.” He told her, accepting the offer and climbing back up to his hooves. “I thought now was a good time to fix that problem.”

“Well, I'd be happy to give ya the tour!” Applejack replied, pointing a hoof at herself, then making a following gesture with her foreleg. “Come on! I'll show ya around!”

Applejack led the stallion around the farm, explaining all the best parts about each section. She went on about many of the crazy things that she and her friends had all done in the fields, and how busy and fun it gets when the Apple Family Reunion comes to town. The orchards were beautiful, with ripe, red apples hanging abundantly from every tree. Boltsinger looked at all of them and found himself drooling, his stomach growling loudly.

“Hey, would it be alright if I took some apples to put in my food bag?” He asked, reaching into his mane. Applejack looked at Boltsinger puzzlingly.

“Uh... food bag?” She inquired. “Whaddya need a food bag for?”

“Well, when you're flying for days on end, you get hungry.” the Pegasus explained. “I eventually just decided to get a bag full of food so that I have something to eat when it happens.” He revealed and opened up the bag, showing off a bunch of hay and daisies inside. “And I'm running a bit low after my trip to Manehattan.

Applejack's face lit up with understanding. She ran into the orchard and bucked a tree so hard that a large bushel of apples flew off of it, flying towards Boltsinger, who shrieked and held his open bag in front of him, the apples falling in and nailing him in the face through it.

“Well, I'll be!” Applejack exclaimed as she trotted back over. “That was a mighty fine catch, there, Bolt!”

Boltsinger moved the bag away from his face, revealing himself to be covered in large red bumps, eyes googly, but otherwise smiling as he put the bag into his tail. “Thanks, Appletini... I think I'm ready for the BIG LEAGUES now...!” He said. Applejack laughed, proceeding to shake him back from his daze.

“Bolt, snap out of it!” She said, bonking him on the head. His eyes snapped back to normal as he looked at the farm pony. “Say, y'all wanna have some lunch with me and the family? It's gettin' to be 'bout that time, and you seem a little outta sorts right now.”

Boltsinger shook his head, coming to his senses. “I have tea with Fluttershy later, but... I suppose lunch is still possible.” He confirmed.

Applejack led him into the house, where the grumbling elderly mare from before was cooking some food. He took a look at her apple pie Cutie Mark and cleared his throat.

“Boltsinger, I'd like to interduce you to the pony in charge 'round here!” She gestured over to the green pony. “Meet Granny Smith!”

Granny Smith looked over at the orange stallion, confused. “S' who's this?” She asked.

“Granny, this is that new pony in town that I've been talkin' about.” Applejack informed her.

“Yeah?” Granny Smith started. “Well, what's 'e doin' here?”

“I invited him fer lunch, Granny.”

“Well why didn'tcha say so?!” Granny shouted. “All right, then, pull up a stool. We're havin' soup fer now!”

Boltsinger took a seat at the table as Granny Smith walked outside, ringing a loud triangle and calling for the other family members. Apple Bloom came rushing in, immediately taking a seat at the table while Big Mac casually walked in, sitting down and nodding in Boltsinger's direction.

“Hi, Bolt!” Apple Bloom greeted. “You here for some lunch?”

“I guess so.” he affirmed. “I've never been on a farm, before. There’s one in my hometown, but I never got to visit that one. This place is a really nice change in scenery from the more town-and-city environments I'm used to.”

“Eeyup.” Big Mac said, nodding at Boltsinger's statement.

“Plus, if the stuff you all sell is as consistently delicious as the food I've already had, then it's worth every bit!”

Granny Smith proceeded to divy up the meal, and Applejack placed the bowls on the table. Whatever the soup was, it was delicious. The family conversed constantly through the meal, and it felt like they were extremely close. Apple Bloom asked again and again about Boltsinger's Cutie Mark, but he refrained from giving excess details to the filly so as to save her the headache of trying to understand it. He leaned his head on a hoof, thinking back.

It's been a long time since I've been with a real family... He mused. I guess you never really get used to seeing things from this perspective when you've been on the outside for so long. He smiled and finished his meal, thanking them for their hospitality, leaving.

That afternoon, at Fluttershy's cottage, Boltsinger knocked on the door, where Fluttershy poked her head out.

“Oh! Boltsinger, you're here!” She said, opening the door and letting him in. “Welcome to my cottage.” She bowed her head, slightly, as she made way for her guest.

Boltsinger bowed in return as he walked in, seeing the earthy décor and all the animals going about their day happily. He smiled as he took a seat on what looked like a brown blanket on the couch.

As his rump touched down, he heard a loud ‘OOF’. In that instant, the thing Boltsinger thought was a blanket disappeared in a white flash. Boltsinger jumped, searching the room.

“This is the guest you told me about?!” a voice sounded from nowhere. “Why, he looks positively terrified!”

Fluttershy trotted into the living room, looking up at the ceiling. “Yes, Discord, this is my new friend.” She confirmed, beginning to pour the tea. “Please, don't tease him. He has trouble meeting new ponies.”

From behind Boltsinger, a bird talon and a lion paw appeared on either of his shoulders, with a creature with a goat-like head that bore a single fang and mismatched horns poked its head out. It had eyes with red pupils, where what would normally be white was yellow instead. “Oh, Fluttershy, you know me better than that!” the smiling creature said, pulling its long, snake like body out from the air behind the Pegasus and pulling on his wings. It had a brown body, with a normal Pegasus wing on one side, and a bat wing on the other. One of its legs was a cloven deer's hoof, while the other looked like a green reptile's leg, with a red dragon-like tail. “I promise I won't traumatize him, but you can't possibly expect me not to give him a little grief!”

Boltsinger looked up at the chimera-like creature, his eyes shrunken and his heart racing. His ears and muzzle were both drooping, not quite sure what to make of the being before him, save for the absolute fact that it makes no sense to even exist. His feet started shuffling in an attempt to run, but before he could start moving, he heard a snapping noise and a flash of cold hit him.

Shivering, his eyes darted around, trying to find out why he couldn't move. The room looked like he was seeing it through distorted glass. It was apparent after a few moments that he was frozen. But how is that possible in the middle of summer?

“Discord!” he heard, Fluttershy's voice more than a little upset. “I asked you not to tease him!”

“I didn't 'tease' him.” Discord argued, folding his arms. “But you didn't say anything about whether or not I could 'freeze' him!” He snapped two of the toes on his lion paw, and Boltsinger saw a white flash, suddenly appearing unfrozen and hanging by his wings from the creature's talon.

The stallion screamed, squirming and working to free his wings from Discord's grip. Discord let go with a snicker, and Boltsinger went flying into the wall, crashing through it.

“Hmm...” Discord started. “It seems he's not interested in having tea today. Oh well! More for us!” He sat on the couch, his paw popping off of his hand and walking over to one of the cups. The paw grew a miniature version of Discord's head and moved to drink from it, but saw the face of a disappointed Fluttershy staring down at it.

“Discord, I'm very disappointed in you...” She said, as Discord's face lost much of its structure, his paw reappearing on his arm. “I thought we had been through this! You know better than to torture ponies that I become friends with!” Discord raised a claw, opening his mouth to respond. “No 'buts'! Go apologize, right now!” Fluttershy pointed her hoof towards the door. Discord hung his head, slowly getting up and walking out.

Discord stepped outside the door and snapped his claws, causing Boltsinger to appear in the air in front of him and fly headlong into a nearby tree. The spirit of chaos walked over to the Pegasus, groaning from having to apologize while the stallion groaned in pain.

“I'm sorry.” Discord said, frankly. “I shouldn't have done what I did, and I need to be more understanding that my best friend has other friends.”

Boltsinger sat up, slapped his face with his wings, and looked at Fluttershy's... interesting... friend. “You… practiced that, didn't you?” He asked.

“You can tell, huh?” Discord confirmed. “You're sharper than I gave you credit for, aren't you?”

“Well, you're not exactly very similar to somepony like Fluttershy.” Boltsinger noted. “I'd imagine you two don't always agree.”

“You can put it that way...” Discord grunted. “Do you accept my apology or not?”

Boltsinger laughed, offering a wing in greeting. “Sure. I'm Boltsinger. And you are...?”

“Discord, spirit of chaos, and Fluttershy's best friend.” He grasped the stallion's wing with his talon, lightly shaking it. “Now, shall we go inside and continue?”

Boltsinger nodded and climbed to his hooves, walking back towards the cottage where Fluttershy waited.

“Okay...” Boltsinger said as he sat back on the couch. “I'm okay now.” He took a deep breath, looking at the hostess of their gathering and smiling. “So, how are you?”

The tea party went on for another two hours. Discord kept things lively with his various magical antics. He regaled Boltsinger with the story of how he came to be reformed, and the various ways in which he's been instrumental in saving Equestria on a myriad of occasions. All the while, the spirit of chaos made it painfully obvious that he was Fluttershy's friend, as if trying to bar the stallion from getting in the way of something. Boltsinger simply shrugged, not really thinking of intruding on anything with anypony more than he already had. He waved goodbye to Fluttershy as Discord disappeared in his usual flash of light, and made his way back to the castle.

As Boltsinger returned to the castle, Starlight met him outside, having come home from something of her own. Boltsinger offered a greeting, pushing the door open.

“So, what were you up to, today?” he asked, curious as to what Starlight had to do outside the castle.

“Oh, I was just visiting my friend Maud.” She told him. “She lives just outside of Ponyville in a big cave.”

“A cave?” Boltsinger repeated. “Why does she live in a cave?”

“She... really likes rocks.” Starlight clarified. “You'll learn all about them when you meet her.” The two ponies laughed and conversed about the day's events as they passed the library, where Boltsinger immediately turned to go in.

Inside, Twilight was sitting in her study chair reading several books at once, seeming to be researching something while Spike piled more books on the table in front of her. Boltsinger walked up next to her.

“Whatcha reading?” He asked. Twilight squealed and jumped up into the air, hovering in place as the books she was researching with fell pages first to the floor. She looked down, seeing the orange pony below and descended into her chair, lifting the books up with her magic.

“I'm just doing some research.” She confirmed, burying her face in the books again. “I'll tell you all about it, later. Right now, I need to concentrate.”

Boltsinger nodded and grabbed a book from the shelf that he had been reading for the past few days, settling down in one of the many chairs in the room and burying his own nose in the pages.

Hours later, the Pegasus in the room felt a rumbling in his belly. He put a bookmark into his book and got up, ready to head to the kitchen. He opened his mouth to inquire whether or not the Princess was hungry, but before any words could come out, she jumped from her chair again.

“I'VE GOT IT!” She shouted. “I think...” She floated back down to the chair.

“Um... What is it that you've got?” Boltsinger queried.

“I've been researching Cutie Mark magic.” Twilight explained. “It's a topic I've been interested in for a long time already, since my friends and I all obtained our Cutie Marks at the same time. The same happened for the Cutie Mark Crusaders.” She looked back at the books. “And now there's the way your Cutie Mark responds when your own magic kicks in... I've got a lot of reasons to look further into it.”

“I see.” the stallion replied, scratching his head. “So, what have you got so far?”

“I need to reference some other books on the subject before I can really be sure.” the Alicorn continued. “So, I want to go visit the best pony I know for finding the right book. His name is Sunburst, and he lives in the Crystal Empire.”

“Sunburst?” Boltsinger said. “I think I know that name... A while back, my wings took me to the Crystal Empire. I helped a Unicorn there who had a sun-related Cutie Mark by delivering messages back and forth from him to the library or the castle while he was sick. I saw Princess Cadence a few times while I did, since I used my air pockets to deliver some of them. He wanted to make absolutely sure that the Princess got absolutely accurate information.”

“Oh? Well, then, do you want to come with me?” Twilight offered. “I'm going to invite Starlight to come along as well, since Sunburst was her first friend, and all.”

“Sounds good to me.” the stallion told her. “It'll be the first time I'll get to really meet somepony I've helped after the fact.”

“You can count me out!” Spike said from the shelf ladder. “I don't really need a dose of fame right now!”

“Fame?” Boltsinger asked.

“He's pretty famous in the Crystal Empire.” Twilight answered.

“Saved it from total destruction!” Spike added, coming down to the floor. “Twice!.”

“So, what about all of your other friends here in Ponyville?” Boltsinger wondered.

“Of course I'm inviting all of them!” Twilight confirmed. “It's been a long time since any of us has been to the Empire. Rarity wouldn't let me hear the end of it if I didn't at least bring her along!”

The three of them laughed as a rumble was heard from Twilight's stomach.

“I was wondering if you were hungry, too.” Boltsinger said. “So, dinner?”

Twilight giggled and nodded. “Dinner.”

The Pear’s Perspective

On the train back to Ponyville, Twilight sat in the far back of the car, staring out the window somberly. Spike sat next to her, a worried look present on his face. The countryside was passing by rapidly in the morning light, and the Alicorn sighed at her own reflection in the window.

Applejack walked up to the seat, sitting next to Spike. “Hey, sugarcube…” the farm pony began. “How’re ya holdin’ up?”

Spike shrugged and shook his head. “She’s been like this since she woke up. I dunno how to get her to quit moping.”

“Now, Spike, she just had a stallion come out ‘n confess his feelings for her!” Applejack explained. “And then right after that, somepony came outta nowhere and started hittin’ ‘im like there’s no tomorrow! Then, right when she was tryin’ to be there for ‘im, he up and flies away in a flash o’ lightnin’! She’s bound ta have some kinda feelings of ‘er own to sort out!”

“Yeah, I know…” Spike confirmed. “I was there, remember?” He turned his gaze back to the lilac pony. “I’ve just never seen her in a funk like this. It’s a... little scary, you know?

“Y’know, I think I remember a little detail about Bolt that might be useful.” Applejack said, raising a hoof to her muzzle.

Twilight’s ears perked up. She looked at her Earth Pony friend with a hopeful look. “What is it?”

“Well, if I remember right, he said he was from Vanhoover…” she continued. “And I happen to know a pony who used to live there right on the farm!”

“Really?!” Twilight turned to face Applejack completely, her wings spreading. “Who is it?”

“Why, Grand Pear!” she announced. “It wasn’t too long ago that he came back to Ponyville, and Bolt isn’t too far from my age. There’s a good chance he might have some insight about that crazy colt!”

“Oh… Well, I don’t know how that’ll help us find him…” Twilight said, wings and ears drooping. “I guess it’s better than not having anything to go on…” She sighed and looked out the window again.

Farther up in the car, the other ponies were all sitting in the other seats, looking back on their friend with an air of sadness about them.

“That was the saddest Gala I’ve ever been to…” Pinkie said, her head low. “I’ve never seen such a huge party pooper! And look what it did to Twilight!”

“I dunno who that stallion was, but I know I don’t like him!” Rainbow Dash huffed, crossing her forelegs. “If I ever see him again… BAM!” She punched the air in front of her. “He’s going down!”

“Oh my…” Fluttershy started, looking at Rainbow Dash. “I can’t believe it would come to that…”

“You didn’t see him pummeling Boltsinger!” the cyan Pegasus told her, punching again. “If I didn’t throw him off, it would really have gotten ugly!”

“Yes, Rainbow Dash, you were quite the hero.” Rarity commented nonchalantly. “But what could have possibly caused that pony to attack without warning like that?”

“I don’t know…” Starlight responded, pondering. “I can’t imagine Boltsinger being the kind of monster that Brightling said he was.” She looked at Applejack. “I’d like to know more about his history. If that Grand Pear can really shed some light on it, I think it might make more sense.”

Later that day at Sweet Apple Acres, Twilight and her friends were gathered in the living room of the farm house. A yellow-coated elderly stallion sat in a rocking chair. His mane and tail were a bushy pale grey, with a single brown stripe in his mane. His Cutie Mark was a ripe and juicy pear, and he wore a green bandana around his neck.

“So what brings you fillies my way?” the old stallion asked.

“Grand Pear, do the names ‘Boltsinger’ and ‘Brightling’ ring a bell?” Applejack asked. “I know you’ve seen Bolt workin’ round the farm lately.”

“That nice colt was Boltsinger?” Grand Pear said, surprised. “My… I didn’t even recognize him! Last I saw him was that storm back in Vanhoover.”

“You mean you were there when he got his Cutie Mark?!” Twilight asked, leaning forward.

“Well, I was there after the storm.” Grand Pear confirmed. “That other name you mentioned… Brightling, wasn’t it?” Twilight and Applejack nodded. “Why, that’s Boltsinger’s older brother!”

“His older brother?!” Twilight and Applejack repeated, rearing back in their seats.

“That’s right.” the old farmer confirmed. “He had some of the brightest ideas I ever heard back when those two were colts.”

“Well, if they really are brothers, why in Equestria does one start savagely beatin’ the other once they’re in the same room?” Applejack inquired.

“Well, that probably has something to do with what happened once Boltsinger got his Cutie Mark.” he continued. “Their family was probably the only group of Pegasus in all of Vanhoover. Boltsinger always had a strong voice. He could sing, he could project, all of that. But he was also just a little bit shy. Brightling was a Pegasus who wished he was a Unicorn. He lived up to his name, and his Cutie Mark showed it. Why, it was a bright light bulb, always lit up like the brilliant ideas he brought to the table. He was quite smitten with a mare called Dimming Sparks, although she always preferred to go by Sparks.”

“That must have been that mare with him at the Gala.” Starlight added.

“After that storm, though, I was checking on the rest of the town. I saw the little colt unconscious, but his family was already there. I didn’t see the nitty gritty of what happened, but once he stood up, there were sparks flying all around him. It looked like electricity was coming out of his wings. From what I could gather, he didn’t have any control over it. I never saw a foal so terrified. His ma ‘n pa got in close to try and help him, but the lightning just shot them back, even spreading to Brightling! I imagine that he didn’t get the full brunt of it, though, seeing as he woke up a few years back.”

“Woke up?” Twilight repeated. “You mean they were knocked out by it?”

Grand Pear nodded, looking somber. “Eeyup. Brightling got up from it after a while. Their parents… not so lucky.”

“Oh, my goodness!” Rarity cried out. “You mean, they’re in a coma?”

The old farmer closed his eyes and shook his head. “I’m afraid not… They passed before I came back to Ponyville.” A moment of silence ensued, the ponies all letting the fact sink in. Tears had begun to well up in a great many eyes. “What I saw that day and what the rest of Vanhoover saw turned out to be totally different.”

Twilight looked at the old stallion, wiping a budding tear from her eye. “What do you mean by that?”

“Well, I didn’t know about the town’s opinion of him until I heard the news of his return.” He hung his head. “Poor little colt was branded as a monster by the townsponies. They all thought he just up and electrocuted everypony he loved deliberately, and then just flew off for the sake of it!”

“Well, why in tarnation would they think that?” Applejack asked, stomping on the floor below her with a foreleg. “Seems a might excessive if ya ask me!”

“I reckon Sparks had a big say in it. She was always a smart little pony, but she was none too friendly. She put up with Brightling because he was useful to her, and they did eventually get married. But she always resented Boltsinger. I think she may have used that tragedy to her advantage. She told Brightling about it when he woke up, and he ate up every word of it.”

“So she manipulated him into hating his own brother?” Starlight interjected.

“Ever since, Brightling has been like a completely different pony. His coat dimmed down, and he took up fighting as a pastime. Never flew again ever since the storm. His wings are made for hitting other ponies now…”

“Wait…” Twilight started, holding up a hoof to stop the stallion. “You said that Brightling’s Cutie Mark was an illuminated light bulb when he was a colt, right?” Grand Pear nodded in confirmation. “But when we all saw him, his Cutie Mark was a shattered bulb… Like the Cutie Mark itself was broken!”

“A broken Cutie Mark? Does that mean that his special talent changed?” Fluttershy wondered.

“I don’t know... “ Twilight admitted. “But sitting here wondering isn’t going to find Boltsinger! I’ll get the full story from him!!” She sprang to her hooves, determination lighting up her face as she cantered out the door.

Applejack turned to her grandfather, giving him a hug. “Thanks, Grand Pear. We’ll let you know if we find ‘im!”

“Aww, it’s no problem, AJ.” he said, returning the hug. “I just gotta know, though. How did Boltsinger brighten up s’ much after what he went through?”

“Well, I admit he’s still pretty jumpy sometimes, but I think simply havin’ friends is what helped ‘im.” the farm mare elaborated. “We all played our parts, but I reckon Twilight had the biggest influence. ‘Specially considerin’ his little ‘confession’ last night!”

“Well, I hope all of you can get him home. I wouldn’t want him to start thinking Sparks was right.” Grand Pear concluded as the ponies ran out, Spike lagging behind. “Now, y’all go bring that boy home!”

The map blazed to life, Twilight hovering in the air over it. She placed her hoof over Canterlot, looking in multiple directions from that vantage point. Breathing a sigh, she moved over to her throne, resting her head on the map.

The door to the throne room opened, Spike, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Starlight, and Rainbow Dash all coming in and gathering around their friend.

“Make any progress, sugarcube?”. Applejack asked. “Or have ya just been sittin’ there sighin’?”

Twilight let out another sigh, sitting up. “All I can tell is that he flew to the southwest… Other than that…” She slumped over, her forelegs and head resting on the map again. “Nothing…”

“Twilight, you know that it takes him a while to land when he takes off like that!” Rainbow Dash informed her. “When I followed him, he was flying for two straight days at that speed!” She flew over to her throne and sat in it.

“Dashie has a point, dear.” Rarity affirmed, sitting in her own throne. “It’ll take more than just a night for there to be any clues as to where he might have landed.”

“So, rather than frettin’, why don’tcha give it some time?” Applejack suggested, taking a seat.

“We’ll find him before too long.” Fluttershy said as she followed suit onto her own throne. “We just need to have faith!”

Twilight raised her head and looked between the myriad mares around the map, smiling. “Thank you so much… You’re right, there’s no sense in going crazy abou--”

“Unless…” Pinkie interjected, her hooves now on Twilight’s shoulders. “Maybe he was so traumatized by seeing his only brother trying to beat him senseless that he had a TOTAL relapse into how he was before he met everypony and made friends, and then thought he was totally WORTHLESS! Then decided he would never make another friend EVER AGAIN!!!” Twilight leaned back, looking panicked. The other ponies in the room simultaneously looked over at the party pony, glaring daggers.

“Oops!” the pink mare said, backing up into her own throne. “Sorry…” She lowered her head with a sheepish smile.

Starlight trotted over to her mentor. “You know better than to take it at face value when she says stuff like that, right?”

“That’s just it.” Twilight argued. “She’s normally right…” The Princess sighed, lowering her head. She floated Boltsinger’s pendant in front of her. “I just hope he’s alright.”

Spike sat in his seat next to Twilight, looking up at her. “Think of it this way, Twilight. If you’re gonna ask if he’s alright, then you gotta remember; Every time anypony has asked him that, he’s been okay. It’s like Fluttershy said, we just need to have faith that it’s the same this time!”

Twilight took a long look at her number one assistant, pulling him close. “You’re right… Thank you.” She put the pendant on the map, where, unbeknownst to the ponies in the room, it let out a tiny spark. “I just have some things to sort out, I guess.”

Author's Note

I debated having a full-on flashback here, but I decided that since Grand Pear wasn't directly involved in the events, it didn't make sense to have it show any intricate details just yet.

Agent Pinkie's Super Special Top Secret Mission!

The springing of spring had finally sprung, what with the winter wrap-up finished. Boltsinger took part as a member of the weather team. It was the first time in years he had had a chance to really bust some clouds, and he was super good at it! Probably because he spent his childhood with a family of cloud-busters! He used a lot of wind to do it, and other times he would plow right into them with a big POOF and then--”

Pinkie, I’m the narrator here. You said you wouldn’t do this kind of thing with me.

Pinkie looked towards what she thought was the source of the voice. “Oops! Sorry!” She shrank into herself with a smile as the ponies around her stared at her with a dumbfounded look on their faces. “I’m just so excited!” She exclaimed, bouncing over to Sugar Cube Corner. “‘Cause I’m gonna be planning another birthday party soon! Twilight’s birthday is coming up, and I know that Rainbow Dash has a birth-iversary, too! Everypony’s birthdays are going to be super fun! And I know what I’m gonna do for every single--” She stopped in her tracks, letting out a loud gasp. “Wait just a sugar-coated minute!” She looked forcefully to the side, panicked. “I don’t know when Bolt’s birthday is!”

Boltsinger made his way through the castle halls, taking off his team vest and placing it on the hanger next to Twilight’s multi-colored one. It had been a long day, but it was worth it. For the first time in years, he got to do some good old fashioned cloud-busting. And this time, he wasn’t slowing anypony else down, which was a nice feeling to have. He was ready to wind down for the day, pick up a good book, settle down into bed, and escape into some other world until he fell asleep. He smiled, wondering what book he was going to open up tonight as a loud bang not only shook him from his thoughts, but shook the ground beneath him, causing him to bounce on his hooves as his momentum moved him forward.

“BOLT!” a familiar high-pitched voice sounded, a tone of urgency present. “I… NEED… ANSWERS!” The stallion turned to see what was going on as Pinkie Pie ran up to him, stopping mere inches from his muzzle as his rump hit the floor. “WHEN IS YOUR BIRTHDAY?”

Boltsinger’s eyes widened at the question. His pupils turned back, trying to find the knowledge his hyperactive friend requested. “Why do you need that information?”

Pinkie looked at him with a perfectly straight face. “Bolt, please, who are you talking to?” Boltsinger raised a hoof and opened his mouth to speak. “That’s right! You’re talking to Ponyville’s number one party planner! I know every birthday that ever birthed in Ponyville! Except yours… And how can I plan a birthday party if there’s no birthday for the party to plan for?”

“Well, I don’t really put much stock into my birthday, so…” the stallion began.

“WHAT?!” Pinkie interjected, rearing back. “But your birthday is the one day of the year you get to celebrate the super special spectacular and amazing you that you are! Why wouldn’t you want to celebrate that?”

“Well, I never saw too much to celebrate once my little flights of fancy started.” He continued. “I spent every birthday alone, and after a while, days started to kind of blur together.” He twirled one of his hooves and rolled his eyes about for emphasis. “So I ended up not really caring too much for it. I just get older, that’s about it.” He stood up and turned to head for the bedroom once more. “Besides, even if I did care about my birthday, I don’t even remember when it is.”

Pinkie Pie, still standing on her hind legs, fell to the floor with her eyes glued to the pony before her. “You don’t remember your own birthday? Not even a little?” Boltsinger shook his head as he continued on. “But… What if I found out when it was? Could we still celebrate it then?”

“If you want to go to all that trouble, I won’t stop you, but I don’t think there’s anypony that really knows anymore that would just tell you.” He started, taking a look back at her. “So, unless you plan to go all the way to Vanhoover and ask my brother, I don’t know how you’re gonna…” Pinkie sat up, showing a look of excited realization. “Pinkie? Are you okay?”

“Yup! And you just gave me the BEST IDEA EVER!” She proclaimed, taking off out the door with a Pinkie Pie-shaped dust cloud where she stood. Boltsinger looked at the dust cloud, more confused than he had ever been in his life.

“There I was, on the Friendship Express headed for the northwestern town of Vanhoover! I was a mare on a mission, seeking the most important information I could ever get my hooves on! There was a birthday missing from my database, and--”

Pinkie! What did I say about narrating?!

“Oh, please let me narrate a little bit! It’s only for a little while!” She pleaded, putting her front hooves together and begging to some force up above. “I promise I’ll stop soon!”

Fine. But just this once!

“Yay!” She shouted, throwing confetti out of nowhere.

Just.

This.

Once.

Are we clear?

Pinkie nodded. “Crystal Empire clear!” She looked sternly forward. “So there I was, on the way to get the super-important information in Vanhoover. It wasn’t going to be easy, but I was determined, I was going to make sure every birthday in Ponyville would be properly celebrated! But this time, I decided to just take the train the whole way instead of the kind of crazy adventure that took me all the way to Yakyakistan!” She looked up again. “All done!”

Thank you.

The train pulled into the station, the pink pony walking out and looking around at the scenery. She had seen the town in a memory before, but this was her first time actually in Vanhoover. Had she just been visiting, she would be going all over the place, but this time, she had an objective. She hopped over to a nearby pony.

“Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie!” She held out a hoof in greeting. The pony stopped in his tracks, looking quizzically at the mare. “Can you take me to the place Brightling lives?”

The pony’s pupils shrank as he heard the name. “You wanna go see Brightling? Why?”

“I have a question for him! Gotta get some super important information!” She told him. “So where does he live?”

The pony relented, giving her directions that led her to a house that she recognized from the memory she took part in. She bounded up to the front door, knocking rapidly. Hoofsteps were heard from the other side of the door leading up to the handle turning. As it opened, the stallion with the faded yellow coat stood before her, a sour look on his muzzle.

“And you are?” He angrily asked.

“I’m Pinkie Pie!” She said, raising a foreleg excitedly. “And you’re Brightling! I’ve heard so much about you!”

“That’s… good… I guess.” He replied. “What do you want?”

“I’m after some information!” she continued, bobbing her head as if talking to a beat. “I’m planning a really big party, but if I can’t tell when it’s supposed to be, then I can’t throw the party at all! But I can’t have that! This party is way too big for that! The pony I’m throwing the party for doesn’t know what I need to know, but you know what I need to know so I need you to let me know so that I can know! You know?”

“... I don’t.” Brightling said, more confused than angry now. “Just tell me what you want…”

“I need to know when Boltsinger’s birthday is!” Pinkie finally told him. He glared at her with a deadpan look, lingering for a few seconds on the happy pony at his door.

“No.” With that, he slammed the door as hard as he could. He turned to go back inside, seeing the pink pony that was once outside now standing before him again.

“Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease?” She said, leaning in close while tilting her head and batting her eyelashes.

Brightling jumped back, balling his wings into fists at the intrusion. “I said no!” He shouted, lunging forward and taking a swing with his right wing. Pinkie leaned slightly to the side, the wing-fist passing harmlessly by her.

“But it’s so that your baby brother can celebrate his big day!” she continued, periodically dodging punches thrown by the angry Pegasus. “Don’t you want him to smile?”

“I don’t care if he smiles or not! He’s no brother of mine!!” Brightling stated, finally managing to grab the mare with his wings. He turned and opened the door, tossing her into the street. He slapped his wings together a few times, as if clearing off dust, turning around to see the smiling mare in front of him again.

“That’s not what I gathered from your Hearth’s Warming present!” She lead, dodging more attempts to grab at her. “It was such a wonderful gift that he was out above the castle calling out to you for a long time!”

Brightling stopped, looking curiously at her. He turned his head to look at her fully with one eye. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I only heard him calling out on Hearth’s Warming Eve, but from what Twilight says, he was really touched by you leaving his Hearth’s Warming doll there for him!” She sat on the floor, raising her forelegs to pantomime as she described what she could in detail.

Brightling looked on at the insane pony in his home, showing some interest as his rump hit the floor. As he raised a hoof to his muzzle, a flash of green shone in his eyes and his face turned sour once more. He stomped his hoof on the floor and got up. “Okay, I’ve humored you long enough. Get out of my house! Now!”

“But you haven’t told me when his birthday is!” Pinkie pointed out. “You haven’t humored me at all if you haven’t told me what I need to know!”

From upstairs, hoofsteps were heard, walking slowly yet deliberately. “Brightling! Who are you talking to?!” A mare’s voice shouted, the hoofsteps moving down the stairs.

“Somepony from Ponyville. Says she’s planning a party.” Brightling explained. “I’ve tried getting her to leave, but she just… keeps coming back!”

“Ugh… All right, I’ll take care of it.” She said, coming down the stairs entirely. Pinkie looked at the foot of the stairs, seeing Sparks glaring at her. “You’re one of those ponies from the Gala, aren’t you?”

“I was at the Gala, yeah! You’re Sparks, right?” Pinkie inquired.

“I am.” She confirmed. “So, why don’t you tell me about this party you’re planning…” She stepped forward, standing over the party pony.

“Oh, I’m planning a birthday for a friend back home in Ponyville, but I don’t know when his birthday is!” She told the mare. “And Brightling here is the only pony who knows when it is! So I’m asking him!”

Sparks glowered at her, flaring up the magic in her horn. “You really don’t need that information. You should just go… These parties are a waste of time, anyway…” Her eyes flashed as the magic of her horn intensified.

Pinkie looked into the Unicorn’s eyes, a tinge of green appearing in her own. She tilted her head. “Really?” As the green light expanded, a blue light formed around her. She jumped up to her hooves and started laughing, the encroaching magic shattering. “That’s ridiculous! Everypony loves a good party!”

Sparks stepped back in fear, the magic of her horn dispelled. “What the…?” She looked over at her husband. “Brightling, this pony won’t listen to ‘reason’. Can you escort her out of town, please?”

Brightling scoffed, walking to the door and grabbed Pinkie by the tail with one of his wings and dragging her outside. “Come with me…” Pinkie let out an excited squee of a laugh as they made their way.

“So, you’re gonna tell me when his birthday is, right?” Pinkie asked, getting up and trotting alongside him.

“No.” He said. “You’re going home.”

“Please!” She pleaded again.

“No.”

“Pretty please?”

“No.”

“Pretty please with a cupcake on top?” She leaned in close enough to nearly rub against his cheek.

“I said NO!” He screamed. “And get away from me!” He let go of her tail, turning and galloping off in a random direction. He found himself inside the local bakery, ten blocks away.

“Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease?” Pinkie asked from behind the counter, leaning over to him.

Brightling jumped. “NO!” He ran away again, finding himself on the Pear farm.

“Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaase?” She asked again, this time in a nearby pear tree.

Brightling looked at the pink pony in sheer terror. “NO!” He galloped farther than he ever thought possible, finding himself in the middle of the desert with nopony around for miles.

As the stallion was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Pinkie appeared from under a rock. “Why won’t you tell me?!” She forcefully asked him, putting her front hooves on his shoulders and shaking him.

“HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS?!” he yelled, confused and scared by the antics of the crazed mare.

“Doing what?” Pinkie wondered.

“How are you able to just appear anywhere like this!” He elaborated, spreading his forelegs wide.

“Oh, that? I don’t know!” She told him.

“HOW IN EQUESTRIA CAN YOU NOT KNOW THAT?” He shook her in the same way she had shaken him. “YOU’RE THE ONE DOING IT!”

“That’s simple! I don’t know because the author doesn’t know!” She booped him on the nose. “Silly!”

Brightling’s jaw hung open, his eyes twitching madly. He hung his head, letting out a loud groan of defeat. “Fine…” He looked her in the eye, scowl more fierce than ever. “I’ll tell you what you want to know. But only as you’re leaving!”

“YYYYYYYYYYYYYYES!” Pinkie cried, jumping into the air. She rushed over to a nearby cactus, pulling out her party cannon and firing off a shot.

Finally back in Vanhoover, Brightling and Pinkie walked along to the train station in silence. Brightling took looks over at the bubbly mare, trying to make sense of her… self. There wasn’t a single thing about her he could understand.

Finally, he decided to break the silence. “So… Since you’re his friend… And you’re here… I have a question.” He started. Pinkie looked at him happily, opening her ears up to him. “How is he doing?”

“You mean Boltsinger?” Pinkie queried as she bounced along.

“Yeah… Just because I don’t like him, that doesn’t mean I don’t get curious.” he admitted. “He’s my brother, after all. So, how has his life been?”

“Oh! Well, before we all met him, he was flying all over Equestria, helping ponies wherever he went! Then he SLAMMED into a wall in Canterlot and met Princess Luna! And then she said that he needed friends, and then the Princesses introduced him to Twilight and the rest of us! And then a bunch of stuff happened, and Twilight made him feel super amazing! Then there was the Gala, but you were there for that! And then he came back, and then he and Twilight kissed, and then--”

“Wait, stop right there…” Brightling interrupted, putting his hoof on Pinkie’s mouth. “They kissed. Like, what couples do?” Pinkie nodded, the hoof still preventing her from speaking. “But isn’t she a Princess?” Pinkie nodded more, the stallion’s hoof falling away. “And he’s been helping ponies with their problems the entire time before he met you?”

“He still goes out and does that!” She clarified. “You see, whenever somepony needs him, his wings get all stiff and lightning-y and his Cutie Mark crackles and whips around, and then he just shoots off like a bolt of lightning! Then he stays there for as long as it takes to get the job done! His talents are always just the right thing for the ponies he meets, and then he comes right back home!”

Brightling stopped, bringing his hoof up to his forehead. “Doesn’t sound all that monstrous to me…” His eyes flashed green for a second, causing him to start moving once more beside the pink pony. They made their way to the train station, where Pinkie bought her ticket for the next train to Ponyville. “Okay… Here’s the thing you wanted to know…” He leaned in next to Pinkie’s ear, whispering the information to her.

Pinkie’s face lit up as the news hit her. “But… That’s the day that... “ Before she could finish her thought, the whistle blew along with the announcement for everypony to come aboard. “Oh! That’s my train! Thanks, Brightling!” She ran onto the train, taking a seat as it started on its way.

Brightling sat on the boarding platform, looking confused as the green flash shined in his eyes a few more times. “Same to you, Pinkie Pie.” He said, getting up and turning to walk home. “Thanks.”

Author's Note

So, what do you think? Pinkie kinda got into my head a little bit, there, but I think it turned out pretty good. Writing it made me think of Looney Tunes a lot, but I suppose that's fitting, considering her... skill set. Next chapter will be written and up just as soon as I can manage it!

Deciding The Lineup

Twilight looked up from her scroll, looking around Ponyville with the paper dragging on the ground behind her. She was making a checklist of all of the things they were going to need for her wedding. The florists had screamed with delight when she delivered the news, offering an abundance of blooms. She had informed them that the wedding didn’t even have a date yet, but that didn’t seem to stop them. She had finally pinned down what cake she wanted with the Cakes, and the different musical styles of the ponies performing had begun to blend quite well. Her outfit was ready, and her groom was due for his fitting. Everything was perfect.

Except for one thing. She had all of the bridesmaids picked out, but her Maid of Honor was a complete enigma. She had five wonderful choices among her best friends and bridesmaids, but the last time she was forced to try and choose between all of them, it caused utter chaos all throughout Ponyville. Her mind drifted between them all, wondering who the best choice would be. Fluttershy was on music, Rarity was busy with outfits, Pinkie was on reception, Applejack worked with the Cakes on catering. Rainbow Dash wanted to perform a Sonic Rainboom like she always did for big celebrations, but that wasn’t totally set yet. Luckily for her, the topic of the Maid of Honor hadn’t come up yet.

Boltsinger’s decisions for his side of the party weren’t quite so difficult. Best Mare, Starlight. That much was obvious. After that, he had a few choices of stallions and other creatures to tux up and put on display. He knew for sure that he needed five groomsponies. When it came to actual ponies, he could think of three off the top of his head. First was Sunburst. It might be a little awkward that he was a groomspony while his special somepony was the Best Mare, but it was worth it. After that, of course, was Big Macintosh. He was the first stallion he’d befriended, and the two did things together more than often enough to warrant a place in the party. Of course, there was no way he could do this without the pony who helped him set up and execute the proposal. If Shining Armor wasn’t there, he’d be hearing complaints from all sides. Plus, he’d already heard back from him on the subject.Then he got to the non-ponies. He was pretty certain Spike was going to be part of Twilight’s side of things, but just in case, he had a plan for the dragon. Then there was the most difficult… creature… he knew. Discord. He was going to take a special kind of convincing, but he couldn’t imagine not having the Draconequus in the wedding party. Besides, if he was going to try and have a bachelor party, he could only truly go to one place. Ironically, all of the ponies that lived in the Crystal Empire had agreed to their part, but the ones he saw on a more regular basis, as well as Discord, had yet to realize the Pegasus’ plans for them.

Boltsinger was crouched low, a black cloak draped over him, saddlebags full of various items stashed under his wings, a dagger in his mouth, and a hoarde of what looked to be giant paper drawings of skeletal ponies bearing down on him. He looked around for an opening, seeing little hope as the enemy forces continued their march.

“Boltstinger!” Spike’s voice called, a beam of magic vaporizing one of the foes surrounding him. “We’re coming!” Arrows rained down from above, striking down more of the paper menaces as a large sword wrapped in orange magic sliced clean through the remainder of them.

Boltsinger dove to the side as a red stallion with black armor and an out-of-place Unicorn horn sticking out of his already-horned helmet galloped by, letting out a thunderous “EEYUP!” as he sliced through another wave of the marching enemies.

“Thanks, guys!” The Pegasus said, turning to face Spike, who was garbed in a wizard’s attire, and Discord, who held a bow in his eagle talon and wore a green tunic with long, flowing blond hair replacing his typical mane. “You really saved my butt there!”

“Yes, I suppose it was a very heroic rescue, wasn’t it?” Discord bragged, rubbing his lion paw against his chest as a small group of enemies popped up behind him. He remained in his pose, blissfully unaware of the looming danger until the skeleton ponies screamed in agony. “What was that?!” He turned to face the noise, seeing the enemies fall over and disappear, Boltsinger tossing his dagger into the air, bucking the pommel, and flying towards it, the blade landing safely in its scabbard.

“Oh, nothing.” he replied, giving off a smug grin. “Just a rather heroic rescue!” He took off into the air, flying ahead to join the fray with the armored Big Mac, slicing more of the papered pony bones to ribbons while Spike and Discord unleashed their ranged attacks on the enemy’s back line. As Boltsinger cut down foe after foe, he stood haunch-to-haunch with Big Mac. “So, Sir McBiggun, I have a request!”

Big Mac brought up his shield, bashing away more enemies as he cast a glance at Boltsinger. “Eeyeah?”

Boltsinger nodded, diving under the shield and bucking a skeleton that had attempted to sneak its way past. “Yeah! You know how Twilight and I are getting married, right?”

Big Mac’s assault on the enemy continued. “Eeyup!”

“Well, I need at least three more members for my side of the wedding party, what with Twilight’s choices of bridesmaids being more obvious than your favorite kind of pie. I can’t even think of not having you as a groomspony! What do you say? You wanna join up?”

Big Mac let out a yell, swinging his sword in a wide circular motion that cleared out every foe around them. “EEYUP!”

Boltsinger and his Earth Pony friend let out a simultaneous victory holler, beginning to dance around, chanting about it being ‘guy’s night'. Spike and Discord ran over, soon joining in as the battlefield around them was dispelled. They stood atop the map, all striking triumphant poses with a game map situated behind them. On the map was several tiny figures with drawings of what the members of the group just looked like on them, surrounded by a number of dice and more figures that had been knocked over. The four of them laughed, stepping down from the table and sitting down.

“So, I just talked about this with Big Mac, but… I have a request for you two.” Boltsinger said, directing his attention to Spike and Discord.

“Oh?” Discord began, bringing his head close. “Could it have anything to do with the fact that you’re going to have a wedding? I would be honored to be your Best Beast!”

“Yes, and Starlight is Best Mare.” The Pegasus answered. “What I do need, though, is to round out the wedding party. Five bridesmaids needs five grooms… um… creatures. I’ve already got Sunburst, Shining Armor, and Sir McBiggun here. I just need two more to walk down the aisle with Twilight’s half of the arrangement.”

“So who are the bridesmaids?” Spike inquired, bringing a claw to his chin. A sudden silence filled the room, a cold wind blowing past all of them as the dragon received a series of blank stares from every being in the room. “Oh… right… obvious…”

“Starlight and Sunburst are gonna walk together, and then it’ll be Pinkie and Rainbow. Twilight’s Maid of Honor hasn’t been chosen yet, but whoever it is will walk with Shining Armor.” Boltsinger explained. He turned his gaze towards Big Mac. “Big Mac, I was hoping you could walk with Applejack, since there’s an Apple on each side.” Big Mac gave an understanding nod as the orange pony looked back at the other two. “All that’s left for partners on Twilight’s side are…” he leaned close to Spike, giving a sly smile as he raised his hoof. “Rarity…” Spike's entire body stiffened at the name, causing him to fall over. Boltsinger turned to Discord, his expression still smug. “and Fluttershy.”

“Well, Princey-poo, that does certainly sound tempting…” Discord admitted, materializing a little black book and looking through it. “I suppose I can fit your little soiree into my busy schedule. But why isn’t Fluttershy the Maid of Honor? She’s clearly the best of the bunch!”

Spike raised a claw in protest, sitting up. “What about Rarity? She’s the one designing the dresses, and she was a big part in setting those two up!”

Big Mac raised a hoof and opened his mouth to speak, but Boltsinger put a hoof on his shoulder. “I know what you’re thinking. Applejack did a lot, too, and helped in ways that neither Rarity nor Fluttershy could, so you think the title should go to her, right?”

“Eeyup…” the farm stallion confirmed.

“And you all have… decent… reasoning.” Boltsinger stated, putting his hoof back on the floor. “But… That’s not our decision. It’s Twilight’s.”

Twilight was wracking her brain, trying to find a way to pick a Maid of Honor that everypony would agree on. She wanted to give all of her friends a shot at explaining why they would be the best choice, but it would have gone much more smoothly if Boltsinger hadn’t picked one of the prime candidates for the role as his own Best Mare. She entered the main treatment room of the Ponyville Day Spa, where a large number of ponies were all gathered and receiving treatment. She lowered herself into the hot tub, letting the relaxing bath take her mind off of the impending decision.

“So glad you could make it, Twilight!” Rarity exclaimed, climbing into the bath next to her.

“Hi, Rarity. Thanks for inviting me.” the Princess greeted, melting into the water. “I really needed a break from all the planning…”

“Yes… about that…” the Unicorn started, inching closer. “I’m touched that you made all of us your bridesmaids, but… If I may ask, who have you selected as your Maid of Honor?” Twilight let out an exasperated sigh at the question, starting to inch away. “If you haven’t made your choice, could I, perhaps, offer my hoof for the role?”

“I’m… not sure…” she admitted, beginning to climb out. “I was hoping I could spend my time here without having to think about all that.”

“Oh, yes, of course!” she affirmed, laughing nervously. “I was just… curious… You know, it’s just such a big role and you’ve only got the five of us for your bridesmaids! You need to make a choice eventually. I just wanted to… give you a nudge.”

Twilight looked blankly at the glamorous mare. “Gee. Thanks.”

“Well, it’s not like you have many other choices, dear.” Rarity informed her, leaning on the edge. “There’s just the five of us, here! Starlight would have been an option, had she not been scooped up to be Best Mare! And even then, she’s all the way up in the Crystal Empire!”

Twilight stopped, looking back at the white pony with a face of glee and realization. “That’s it!” She shouted, rushing over to Rarity and giving her a hug. “Rarity, you’re a genius!”

Rarity blinked, turning her pupils towards the Princess. “I’m… not sure I understand, dear. Why am I a genius?”

“The Crystal Empire!” she clarified, pulling back. “The perfect pony for that role is there!” She squeed with joy, hopping back into the bath. “Cadence! Oh, I can’t believe I didn’t think of her earlier! It’s perfect!”

Rarity’s face sank slightly at the mention of the Princess, keeping a smile. “I see… Well, she is the perfect choice, isn’t she?”

“Isn’t it great?” Twilight agreed, flaring her wings. “Now I don’t have to choose between all of you! Oh, thank you, Rarity!” She lunged forward and gave the beautician another hug.

“What do you mean, ‘choose between us’?” Rarity wondered. “Is that why you hadn’t made your choice, yet? You were afraid to choose?”

The Princess of Friendship nodded profusely. “Uh-huh. It felt like back when I only had the one extra Gala ticket so long ago. I was afraid you were all going to want me to pick you and things were going to get crazy! Thanks to your giving me the idea, I don’t have to worry anymore!” She let go of the Unicorn, letting herself sink into the water. “Now, I can just relax…”

Rarity let a sad look escape onto her face, looking at her relaxing companion. “Darling, I can’t help but feel slightly offended that you would think we would compete like that.”

Twilight lifted her muzzle out of the water. “Huh? Why would you be offended?”

“It’s been years since that whole ticket debacle!” the fashionista explained. “We’ve all been through a lot since then, and I’d like to think we’ve matured beyond trying to compete for a special place next to you without first listening to your opinion!”

“But you were just trying to convince me to give you the Maid of Honor spot!” the Alicorn retorted. “How is that any different from back then?!”

“I wanted the spot, yes, but not at the expense of anypony else!” Rarity continued, motioning to herself. “Do you really think Fluttershy would want it so badly as to go out of her way for it? Or Rainbow Dash! She wouldn’t care about a ‘frou-frou’ thing like that! Neither would Pinkie, or Applejack, for that matter! I’ve been pushing you and Bolt together since day one! I just hoped that… maybe I would have my efforts in that regard recognized!”

Twilight softened, coming to understand the situation. “Rarity, I understand how you feel, and I’m sorry for underestimating you.” she told her, facing her earnestly. “Nopony appreciates all you’ve done for Bolt and I more than we do, honestly. However, I can’t simply put you on a pedestal above all of our friends. Besides, Cadence was the one who helped me to realize just how I felt. If it weren’t for her showing me what was going on, I may never have worked up the nerve to kiss him! You’ve done a lot, and I’ll always be thankful. But everypony played their part. Even if some of them took a while to catch on.”

“I… understand…” Rarity admitted, relenting. “And Cadence really is a wonderful choice. I suppose I just wanted to stand out.”

“You really think you need to do extra in order to stand out?” Twilight asked. “You already command most ponies’ attention just by being yourself! I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

Rarity smiled, her whole essence shining through as she brightened up. “Well, when you’re right, you’re right!”

After a number of other treatments, more for Rarity than for Twilight, the two mares made their exit. They walked towards the Carousel Boutique at a leisurely pace, talking about upcoming events and what they most looked forward to. As they saw the building in the distance, the clopping of hoofsteps, slow and deliberate, panged at Twilight’s eardrums. She shook her head, turning her head to see where they might have been coming from. Walking in the opposite direction, heading to the east, was a grey mare with a distinct white-to-black tail and a Cutie Mark of three extinguished sparks.

“What is she doing in Ponyville?” she wondered. She lowered her head, making ready to confront her as Rarity’s magic tugged on her tail.

“Oh, pay her no mind, darling.” Rarity suggested, beckoning her friend back over. “She’s not worth the effort. Besides, I’m sure that any business she has here will be done post haste, so that she doesn’t have to stay any longer than she has to!”

Twilight took her friend’s suggestion, turning around while keeping her eye on the mare for as long as she could. “I hope so.”

Author's Note

I hope you're prepared, because something big, and wicked, this way comes.

Also, happy accident: Paragraph number is the same as the chapter number.